P178.5-M seized mackerel will be 1st case under anti-agri economic sabotage law – Marcos

MANILA, Philippines – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said on Saturday, December 14, that the ₱178.5-million worth of smuggled frozen mackerel seized at the Manila port will be his administration’s first case under the Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage Act of 2024.

The President made the announcement during his visit to the Manila International Container Terminal (MICT), where he inspected millions of pesos worth of frozen mackerel that were confiscated from 21 container vans in September.

“Ito na yung pinaka-una na magiging kaso sa ilalim ng ating bagong Anti-Agricultural Sabotage Act na bagong batas natin para patibayin ang sanction sa mga sumusubok na pumasok, na hindi nagbabayad ng duty,” Marcos said.

(This is the very first case under our new Anti-Agricultural Sabotage Act, a law we enacted to strengthen sanctions against those attempting to bring in goods without paying the proper duties.)

The frozen goods were seized by the Bureau of Customs (BOC) in coordination with the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR). The shipment, consigned to Pacific Sealand Foods Corporation, violated the Department of Agriculture’s Memorandum Order No. 14, s. 2024, which suspends the issuance of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Import Clearances for the importation of round scad, mackerel, and bonito.

In October, Marcos signed Republic Act No. 12022 or the Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage Act. Under the new law, smuggling, hoarding, profiteering, cartel activities, and financing crimes related to agricultural and fishery products are classified as acts of economic sabotage. These offenses will carry a penalty of life imprisonment and a fine of up to five times the value of the products involved in the crime.

According to the President, the seized mackerel will be distributed to families in evacuation centers affected by recent calamities, with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) leading the distribution.

“The key to this success was the coordination between the different agencies. That’s always the most important because all the agencies were working together, all the way to the end. Because the end consumer of this is the DSWD,” Marcos said in a mix of English and Filipino.

He went to Baseco in the Port Area in Manila for the distribution activity.

In November, the BFAR declared the frozen mackerel safe for human consumption. Upon the recommendation of the BOC, the Department of Finance approved the donation to the DA in early December, the Presidential Communications Office said in a press statement.

The DA then donated the seized goods to the DSWD through a Deed of Donation and Acceptance for distribution.– Rappler.com