Why are smugglers left untouched?

Everything government does about pricey basic foods hurts little folk. But billionaire cartelist-smugglers benefit.

Example, onions. Government suggested retail prices and arrested uncompliant market vendors. Suggestions are law, it claimed.

To consumers grumbling that onion prices have multiplied nine-fold, it advised to buy per piece instead of per kilo. As if one shallot is enough to spice up bistek or sisig.

To indigents patronizing Kadiwa rolling stores, it sold smuggled contaminated Chinese onions mis-advertised as “fresh” domestic harvest. The last harvest was in August-October, next is February-April.

It will import 21,060,000 kilos by Jan 27 “to stabilize supply.” That’s a staggering 753 40-foot cargo containers – which will depress farmgate rates and bankrupt growers at harvesttime.

Spared by government, cartelists-smugglers are raking it big. Obvious reason: vendors, indigents, consumers, farmers don’t have hundred-million pesos to bribe authorities to look the other way.

Customs insiders confided to Gotcha the modus. Smugglers use Customs bosses’ favorite consignees. Capitalized at only P30 per kilo plus bulk freight cost, they pass on onions to retailers at P450-P650.

Bribery is by bulk, not pesos and centavos. For every five containers, three are for smugglers, two for Customs accomplices.

Smugglers and Customs cohorts are protected at highest places. They give nine-digit protection money to two persons closest to the center of power.

The biggest smuggler at the Port of Subic is an ex-congressman. His front consignees enjoy duty- and inspection-free privilege.

Three new contrabandists lord it over Port of Manila, Manila International Container Port (MICP), Subic and Batangas. The first, in his 30s, is a naturalized Filipino from China, “Mike Ma.” Second, in his 40s, is Chinoy “Gene Ang.” Third, in her 50s, is alias “Beverly Peres.”

Ma and Ang’s contacts are at Customs HQ in Manila. But they never go there, sending only an influential go-between, the brother of a Malacañang bigwig.

Senator Cynthia Villar vowed Tuesday to re-investigate agricultural cartelists-smugglers. In 2013 she uncovered that sleazy Bureau of Plant Industry officials issue them one-time import permits even during onion harvest. In cahoots with Customs crooks, they recycle lapsed permits to bring in more shiploads year-round.

Edible bulbs are packed in all available cold storages, leaving no space for domestic harvest. Produce rotting, farmers give in to cartelists’ low dictated rates. In April 2022 disgusted Mindoro farmers burned P9-million bulbs highway side.

At an inquiry that month, then-Senate President Tito Sotto disclosed four of 22 culprits named in intelligence reports:

• Leah “Luz” Cruz, operating in Cagayan de Oro and MICP;

• Manuel Tan, CdO, Subic, Batangas;

• Jun Diamante, CdO;

• Andrew Chang, MICP, Port of Manila, Batangas.

None have been indicted.

On Dec. 27, Agriculture assistant secretary James Layug requested Customs to “issue alert orders and joint 100-percent inspection” of all cargos of six consignees:

• Victory JM Enterprises;

• Taculog Int’l Consumer Goods Trading;

• Asterzenmed Aggregates;

• Veneta Consumer Goods Trading;

• Lalavy Aggregates Trading;

• SB Express Logistics Business Solution.

Alvin Enciso, Customs intelligence and investigation head at MICP, endorsed it to District Collector Arnoldo Famor. No word from Customs Commissioner Yogi Ruiz about the red alert.

Rushed imports dismay onion farmers. Gofer-bureaucrats of cartelists-smugglers have tricked President/Secretary of Agriculture Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to approve it.

Federation of Free Farmers chairman Leonardo Montemayor said farmers are being punished for high onion prices caused by criminals. “They should instead be helped to recover from last year’s severe typhoons, and expensive fertilizer and fuel,” said the ex-agri boss.

“Smugglers are more organized than the government,” lamented Gregorio San Diego, head of chicken raisers and egg distributors. His poultry industry is suffering from similar low-duty imports that Marcos Jr. authorized last month.

Customs HQ tried to dazzle the public Wednesday with news of interdicting P2-billion smuggled Chinese agricultural produce in 2022. The spox claimed that they protected local farmers and food safety of Filipinos. Yet only two weeks ago Ruiz offered to donate confiscated Chinese onions to Marcos Jr.’s Kadiwa stores. That was despite official findings of toxin and E. coli contamination.

Instead of abstract billion-pesos, Customs must instead prove that they destroyed the contraband fresh foods. The law so requires for public health and agricultural biosecurity. Photos and videos should show the manner, venue, date and witnesses to the destruction.

To date, Customs has said nothing about the smuggling at CdO by Frankie Trading Enterprises and Primex Export-Import Producer of 22 containers, each laden with 28,000 kilos of onions last July. No word too about the sneak-out of the contraband for retail in Davao and Surigao instead of destroyed by Customs condemnator Greenleaf 88. The only action about it is that, instead of suspending Port Collector Elvira Cruz, Ruiz promoted her to busier Port of Cebu.

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