The illegal use and sale of import licenses for smuggled goods continues to destroy the livelihoods of farmers, according to a Senate investigation. It emerged that some companies are renting out their licenses for shipments that are not theirs.
During the hearing, the owner of Berches Consumer Goods Trading admitted that they rented out their import license in exchange for a small fee. Instead of earning ₱3,000 to ₱10,000 per container, they only earned ₱500. ₱59 million worth of carrots and onions were discovered imported as “chicken poppers.”
Customs Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno referred to this as an example of consignees-for-hire where small traders are used as fronts for larger businesses. According to Sen. Francis Pangilinan, it is clear that only “dummies” are being used to evade accountability from the real operators.
Also included in the investigation is the case of a FoodPanda rider who appeared to be a registered importer even though he had no knowledge of the business. Pangilinan said it is clear that there is an organized syndicate controlling agricultural smuggling. He promised to cooperate with Customs, DA, and law enforcement to dismantle the operation.
Meanwhile, Sen. Raffy Tulfo slammed the Department of Agriculture for issuing special import permits even though there is oversupply of fish in some areas such as General Santos and Bohol. He said local fishermen are losing money while fish from China are being sold cheaply. He requested that before issuing permits, there should be a clear market study so that the income of Filipino fishermen is not sacrificed.
