JV Ejercito wants oversight of SIDA, Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Law revived

Senator JV Ejercito said on Monday that he wants oversight on the implementation of the Sugarcane Industry Development Act (SIDA) and the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act revived as he aired his frustration over the country's overdependence on importation.

"I'm hoping that the oversight function will be established. Dapat i-revive, dapat maging active para mabantayan itong mga batas na ito in line with the President's directive na talgang magkaroon ng food sufficiency," Ejercito, author of the SIDA and sponsor of the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act, said in an interview with reporters.

"I really felt frustrated, may anger because nasayang ang lahat na six, seven years after the passage of these two measures. Siguro we were supposed to be on our way already to sufficiency of the sugar industry but now we are still importing," he added.

Ejercito noted that the SIDA was supposed to revitalize and modernize the local sugar farming industry but the P2 billion annual appropriation for the law was cut due to underutilization.

"Ibig sabihin mukhang nawili ang SRA, ang DA at pinalulusotan naman ang BOC. Probably, nabawasan ang smuggling because of the law pero yung too much importation masyado nang nawili kaya it has become irrelevant," he said.

Ejercito lamented that the Bureau of Customs (BOC) conducted raids of warehouses only after President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. took the helm of the Department of Agriculture (DA).

"For the past six years, nasaan kayo? Nung pinasa ang Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Law nasaan na? Mayroon ba kayong nahuli na mga big fish engaged in smuggling of agricultural products? Wala akong naririnig," he said.

Ejercito pointed out that the government must start addressing smuggling and then regulate food importation to achieve self-sufficiency.

The lawmaker then raised the need to look at the possible negligence of the SRA, DA, and BOC officials, saying they might be "turning a blind eye" to the issue of agricultural smuggling.

“Now that this issue has become really important, siguro, it’s really about time that we look into these SRA officials, DA officials, BOC officials, doon sa mga talagang nagkulang. Di nga lang nagkulang, mukhang nagbulag-bulagan,” Ejercito said.

“Sabi ko nga, mas magastos, mas mahal yung pampabulag. Mukhang tumitingin sila sa kabila. Alam naman natin na nangyayari, di ba?” he added.

The lawmaker also hinted at the possibility of filing charges against officials who became negligent in their duty to prevent smuggling.

"Unang-una, that’s their responsibility-- to really stop smuggling and protect our farmers and the industry itself. So doon palang, palagay ko, they are remiss. Probably, we can already study the filing of charges against these officials who were remiss in their duties. Kumbaga, pinabayaan nila in the past six years,” Ejercito said.

“Hindi naman siguro magkakaganito kalala ang problema ng ating agricultural industry had they done their jobs, kung talagang ginawa nila ang task nila,” he added. — DVM, GMA News