DOJ, NBI dared: Catch billionaire agri smugglers

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan on Thursday challenged the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the National Bureau of Investigation to go after wealthy agricultural smugglers to prove that they are not “untouchable.”

During the Senate hearing on the DOJ’s proposed 2027 budget, Pangilinan questioned both agencies over the dismissal of agricultural smuggling cases because of incomplete documents.

“Forgive me, [DOJ] Secretary [Frederick] Vida, [NBI] Director [Melvin] Matibag, I’m challenging you. These people are untouchable up to this point,” Pangilinan said. The NBI is one of the DOJ’s attached agencies.

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“We’re talking of billions of pesos worth of smuggled goods being brought into our country whose quality is questionable, whose safety standards are obviously unclear,” he added.

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READ: Firm, BOC personnel charged over P17.5-M smuggled veggies

Pangilinan specifically urged them to go after those he described as “billionaires” allegedly behind the smuggling of billions of pesos worth of agricultural products.

“Prove to us, show us that they are not untouchable … Impress us,” he said.

Pangilinan told the DOJ that he was willing to support its proposed 2027 budget of P46.435 billion “as long as the bottomline is that, the days of these untouchable smugglers are numbered.”

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His statements were prompted by the observations of DOJ officials who had expressed concern over the dismissal of cases over incomplete documentary requirements from the Bureau of Customs (BOC).

Earlier in the hearing, Pangilinan noted that of more than 100 cases involving the apprehension of agricultural and smuggled products forwarded by the DOJ, about 90 had been dismissed, allegedly because the BOC failed to provide certified true copies of documents.

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DOJ directive

Vida said the DOJ had started requiring the BOC and even the Bureau of Internal Revenue to resubmit documents and pursue cases against individuals who may be responsible.

He added that the Office of the Ombudsman had warned that officials who fail to comply could be considered negligent in their duties.

Matibag, for his part, said the NBI was working on a tripartite agreement with the DOJ and the BOC to strengthen case buildup for smuggling cases.

Pangilinan, meanwhile, also raised concern over alleged changes in the reported value of confiscated goods, citing instances in which shipments initially reported to be worth more than P10 million ended up with lower valuations.

“I said, that’s quite convenient, it’s mostly P10 million, mostly bailable. That’s also something you need to look into, because there seems to some deducting happening,” Pangilinan said.

Economic sabotage

Under the law, harsher penalties apply when the value of the smuggled goods exceeds P10 million which elevates the offense to economic sabotage.

Matibag replied that the NBI already seized smuggled agricultural products worth more than P10 million. “We have P37 million worth of onions and chicken around P12 million,” he said.

After Pangilinan requested a separate meeting with the agencies to work on the matter, Vida said the DOJ, together with its attached agencies, would continue cooperating with the Senate on the issue.

Responding, however, to Pangilinan’s challenge of going after the supposed “untouchable” smugglers, Vida said the DOJ’s guiding principle is the rule of law.

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“No one should be above the law,” Vida stressed, saying that the DOJ would prosecute those who should be prosecuted without looking at their names or stature. “Let’s just follow the law,” he said. /cb