At least 30 million kilos of pork products may have been smuggled into the Philippines amid the Covid-19 pandemic according to Senator Francis Pangilinan, which if true could have translated into billions of peso earnings for the smuggling ring and conversely, billions of lost revenue for the government coffers.
The lawmakers said EO would further decimate the local pork industry and it would also undermine the local production and the country's food security
PORK smugglers may have had their pockets all lined up amid the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and the African swine fever epidemic, a senator claimed.
Citing discrepancies in data from the Bureau of Customs (BOC) and those of the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) for 2020, Sen. Franklin ‘Kiko’ Pangilinan claimed that at least 30 million kilos of pork may have been “smuggled” into the Philippines last year.
Data from Customs show that more than 225 million kilos of pork worth P16 billion was imported in 2020, but BAI reported P256 million kilos of pork imports for the same year.
PROHIBITIVE PORK PRICES. This woman could only look helplessly after learning that the prices of pork products at Pasay Public Market skyrocketed once again at P400 per kilo, prompting her to just walk away as she did not have enough money to buy them. (MIKE TABOY)
“Bakit magkaiba ang data ng Customs at ng BAI? Bakit mas mababa ang sa Customs? Nasaan napunta ang mga 30 million kilos ng imported na baboy? Yan kaya ang dami ng imported na baboy na nakalusot sa Customs ng walang tax?" Pangilinan asked.
“Kailangang ipaliwanag ‘yan dahil bilyong piso na ang nawala sa mga Pilipinong magbababoy dahil sa ASF, bilyon pa ang nawala sa tax na pwede sanang gamitin para makatulong sa kanila maka-recover," he added.
Pangilinan made the statement during the most recent hearing of the Senate Committee of the Whole regarding the issue of the shortage of pork in the country.
Senator Panfilo Lacson had earlier accused some officials at the Department of Agriculture (DA) of being involved in a “tongpats” scheme with pork smugglers.
(See also: Lacson exposes P6-B kickback in pork importation proposal )
House Resolution
Meanwhile, 17 representatives have also filed a resolution urging President Rodrigo Duterte to recall Executive Order No. 128 which lowers tariffs on pork imports in the country.
The resolution was filed by Representatives Carlos Isagani Zarate, Rose Marie Arenas, Jose Christopher Belmonte, Arlene Brosas, Argel Joseph Cabatbat, France Castro, Eufemia Cullamat, Lorenz Defensor, Sarah Elago, Edgar Erice, Ferdinand Gaite, Janette Garin, Rico Geron, Jonathan Keith Flores, Edcel Lagman, Geraldine Roman, and Noel Villanueva.
The lawmakers said EO would further decimate the local pork industry and it would also undermine the local production and the country's food security.
"It is not an assurance that reduced tariffs and increased importation will stabilize or reduce the current high prices of pork meat products which has become unfairly exorbitant for consumers," the resolution stated.
(ONT)
Tags: #porkimports, #FrancisPangilinan, #porksmuggling