DA asked: File criminal raps against blacklisted fish importers

THE chair of the House committee on aquaculture and fisheries resources yesterday urged Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. to file criminal charges against blacklisted importers of fish and other food products who are involved in the illicit trade.

While he commended the Department of Agriculture on its plan to blacklist suspected smugglers, Rep. Brian Yamsuan (PL, Bicol Saro) said this step should be followed up by the filing of criminal cases in court against unscrupulous traders.

“Blacklisting erring agricultural importers should not be the DA’s only measure against them. If there is enough evidence, then criminal cases should be hurled against them in court,” said the administration lawmaker. “Fish smuggling undermines the livelihood of small fisherfolk and imperils the safety of consumers.”

Yamsuan issued the statement in response to Laurel’s recent statement about blacklisting at least four importers suspected of acts classified as economic sabotage. The four consists of a rice importer, two fish traders and a sugar importer.

“We will await the action of the Department of Agriculture on this matter. We are counting on Agriculture Secretary (Francisco Tiu) Laurel (Jr.) to make his move soon against these suspected smugglers,” Yamsuan said.

The lawmaker said blacklisted companies may just resort to using dummy firms to continue their illegal activities.

Yamsuan pointed out that under the law, large-scale fish smuggling is classified as economic sabotage if the amount of the goods subject of the crime is at least P1 million as valued by the Bureau of Customs (BOC).

The punishment for this crime under Republic Act 10845 is life imprisonment and a fine of twice the fair value of the smuggled fish products, along with the aggregate amount of the taxes, duties and other charges involved.

Yamsuan said the proposed Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage Act aims to strengthen RA 10845 (An Act Declaring Large-scale Agricultural Smuggling as Economic Sabotage) by including hoarding, profiteering and cartel as acts of economic sabotage when the value of each agricultural and fishery product involved in these illegal activities amounts to at least P1