Like other lucrative illegal enterprises, this one seems to survive any change of government in this country. In the previous administration, smugglers were blamed for aggravating a rice shortage in the international market. The Philippines, a heavy importer of its staple, was among the most vulnerable to the global shortage.
After several raids on warehouses and the release of state-subsidized rice in low-income communities, smugglers took a break. No one, however, was apprehended and punished for rice smuggling. As in other illegal activities, when no one is held accountable, the illegal act continues. And so today, authorities are again investigating the reported smuggling of 430,000 sacks of rice from India through the Subic Bay Freeport Zone.
The consignee of the shipment has been identified in news reports as Metro Eastern Trading Corp. Whether any individual will be made to account for the entry of the rice remains to be seen. As worse as the smuggling is the reported pilferage of 4,000 sacks of the shipment.
It’s not the first time that a smuggling scandal has hit the freeport zone. Local and foreign investors in this country have complained over the years of smuggling through the freeport, with items such as luxury vehicles and fuel pausing unfair competition to legitimate businessmen.
This time it’s rice. Unless someone is caught and penalized, together with any government personnel who might have connived in the smuggling, this illegal activity will flourish in Subic. And rice will not be the only item smuggled.