Press Release - Villar hails signing of tougher law against agricultural economic saboteurs

Sen. Cynthia A. Villar today welcomed the signing into law of a measure that imposes severe sanctions against smugglers, profiteers, hoarders and cartels of agricultural and fishery products.

In a ceremony in Malacanang on September 26, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed Republic Act No.12022 or the Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage Act. Witnessing the event are some senators and congressmen, along with the officials of the Department of Agriculture and several agricultural private groups.

The bill defines the crime of agricultural economic sabotage as any act or activity that disrupts the economy by creating artificial shortage, promoting excessive importation, manipulating prices and supply, evading payment or underpaying tariffs and customs duties, threatening local production and food security, gaining excessive or exorbitant profits by exploiting situations, creating scarcity, and entering into agreements that defeat fair competition to the prejudice of the public.

Villar, chairperson of the Committee on Agriculture, Food, and Agrarian Reform and sponsor of the measure in the Senate, said severe penalties are needed to deter smuggling and abusive market practices which threaten the well-being of agricultural producers and welfare of the consumers, and the economy as a whole.

Under the law, the penalty of life imprisonment and a fine thrice the value of the agricultural and fishery products subject of the crime shall be imposed on any person who commits agricultural smuggling, agricultural hoarding, agricultural profiteering and engaging in cartel.

Further, RA 12022 creates the Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage Council, the Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage Enforcement Group, as well as the constitution of a special team of prosecutors all over the country, which shall evaluate evidence, act on criminal complaints, initiate and conduct preliminary investigation, and timely file and prosecute the appropriate criminal charges against the person/s who committed prohibited acts under this act.

"With these in place, we will have a watchdog in the agricultural sector to ensure that whoever manipulates the price of agricultural commodities to the detriment