Big-time onion smuggler arrested - Cynthia Villar

A suspected big time onion smuggler was arrested on Wednesday,  according to Senator Cynthia Villar during the Senate plenary deliberations on the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) proposed 2024 budget.

“They have arrested him this morning…[he is a] large-scale smuggler [of] onions,” Villar said.

According to the senator, the big-time smuggler was behind the illegal importation of 30 containers of onions.

The DA is also trying to file a case against another onion smuggler who has six companies.

“They are investigating together with Philippine Competition Commission,  Leah Cruz has been there for a long, long time,” Villar said, mentioning the businesswoman who allegedly has a monopoly on onions and garlic.

Further, Villar mentioned 15 filed cases by the DA, five of which were dismissed.

“You can see that everything is dismissed by the court. That’s why I want them to be non-bailable para at least kung i-dismiss man ng court, nakaranas na s’yang makulong,” she said.

(I want the cases to be non-bailable so even if these are dismissed by the court, the smuggler would experience how it feels to be behind bars.)

“Alam mo mayayaman sila, ayaw nilang makulong kaya ‘yon ang provision ng ating [proposed amendments to] Anti-Economic Sabotage Law. At least, if you are rich and you will go to prison you will not do it anymore because you don’t have to do it,” she added.

(You know they are rich, they don't want to be in jail so that's why we have that provision in he proposed amendments to the Anti-Economic Sabotage Law.)

While the DA is filing cases on agricultural smuggling, Villar said there were no cases against cartels.

In September, Villar sponsored to the Senate plenary a bill redefining and imposing stiffer penalties against acts of agricultural smuggling and hoarding.

Under Senate Bill 2432, acts of agricultural smuggling and hoarding should be considered economic sabotage when the value of each agricultural and fishery product was at least P1 million.

The bill also pushes for a life imprisonment penalty and a fine equal to three times the value of the agricultural and fishery products subject to the crime as economic sabotage on anyone who commits, aids, or abets the commission of prohibited acts.—RF, GMA Integrated News