Pangilinan bares 3-way collusion in agri smuggling
A Senate inquiry into the smuggling of agricultural products has exposed an alleged collusion among Chinese syndicates, local businessmen and government officials, similar to the operations of the now banned Philippine offshore gaming operators (Pogos).
At the resumption on Monday of the investigation being conducted by the Senate committee on agriculture, food and agrarian reform, panel chair Sen. Francis Pangilinan noted the similarities between the smuggling of agricultural products and operations of Pogos, which were outlawed in the country in 2024.
“The big picture is coming together. Just like in the Pogos, one of the key leaders of the powerful agricultural smuggling syndicate is from China,” Pangilinan said.
“And just like in the case of Pogos, there are Filipino accomplices. And most likely, the imported frozen fish was originally caught in our own waters—in the West Philippine Sea. Our fish are being stolen and sold back to us,” he added.
Pangilinan cited the P68 million worth of smuggled frozen mackerel from China that was initially declared as P40 million worth of chicken poppers.
Government protection
Pangilinan lamented that similar to Pogos, the bureaucracy is also being corrupted by exporters of agricultural products who all appeared to be from China.
“Those who were caught and the companies whose goods were seized involved Chinese nationals,” he pointed out.
Pangilinan said there is now “sufficient circumstantial evidence” to believe that “Chinese smuggling syndicates” have been conniving not only with local businessmen, but even with erring employees and officials in the Bureau of Customs, National Bureau of Investigation, Philippine National Police, Department of Agriculture, including the Department of Justice and Bureau of Immigration.
