Marcos certifies bill with harsher penalties for agri smugglers as urgent
President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. leads the distribution of confiscated smuggled rice to less-fortunate citizens in Zamboanga City on Tuesday, Sept. 19. PHOTO SCREEN GRABBED FROM RTVM
MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. certified as urgent a Senate bill imposing steeper penalties against perpetrators of agricultural hoarding and smuggling, the Palace said on Thursday.
Senate Bill 2432, or the “Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage Act,” would repeal Republic Act No. 10845, or the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act of 2016.
“The need to facilitate the passage of this important piece of legislation is imperative, especially now that the country is beset by rising prices and shortages in agricultural products, partly due to the nefarious acts of smuggling, hoarding, profiteeríng, and cartel,” said the President in a letter to Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri.
The bill also aimed to promote farmers’ productivity and protect them from unscrupulous traders and importers.
