Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan believes that politicians and government officials might be the financiers and backers of the massive agricultural smuggling that pervades the country. 

Speaking on a morning news show on Thursday, February 12, the senator and chair of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Food, and Agrarian Reform lamented how ordinary Filipinos are being made scapegoats in the agricultural smuggling scheme. 

“Yun ang sinabi ko at katanungan ko, kasi sino ba naman ang makakapag import ng bilyon-bilyon, ‘di ba? Yung mga financier,” he remarked after noting how a jeepney driver—Warren Lumbang—was named corporate secretary in one of the rice import firms that brought in P7 billion worth of rice into the country. 

His wife, Raizza Lumbang, who had been unemployed for years and was previously a factory worker, was also named in the company documents. 

“I compared it sa flood control. Mayroong kasabwat na sa gobyerno, mayroong financier na mga contractor, diba private sector, mayroong — posible — mga politiko o mga matataas na opisyal ng gobyerno,” Pangilinan said. 

The senator held another committee hearing on agricultural smuggling last Tuesday, February 10. In a previous hearing, he also uncovered how a FoodPanda delivery guy was used as a dummy owner of an import company by his own uncle. 

In his bid to end agricultural smuggling in the country, Pangilinan had uncovered several importers that use dummy accounts to escape accountability for bringing in not only smuggled agricultural products, but also products that are unfit for human consumption. 

The lawmaker also expressed concern that no big-time smuggler has been arrested and jailed under the Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage Act, which classifies the smuggling of agricultural products valued at over ₱10 million as a non-bailable offense.

“At under the Anti-Economic Sabotage Law, ang pagbubuo ng mga dummy corporation, para mag import at abusuhin, ang proseso ng pag-iimport ng agri products ay non-bailable offense of economic sabotage,” he stressed. 

Pangilinan vowed there will be upcoming hearings to uncover the truth about these corporations and get to the bottom of the agricultural smuggling activities in the country. 

He also expressed hope that some individuals connected to the scheme will stand as state witnesses to identify the financiers of these illicit import activities.