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Man arrested for large-scale onion smuggling – Villar

Alexander Magno
Man arrested for large-scale onion smuggling – Villar

RECLAMATION TO AFFECT PORTS: Sen. Cynthia Villar asks officials of the Department of Agriculture (DA) to explain why they are requesting a 100 percent increase in the budget of the Navotas fish port when its operations might be hampered by the reclamation project in Manila Bay. Villar, chairperson of the Committee of Agriculture, Food and Agrarian Reform, presided over the Finance Subcommittee B hearing on the proposed 2024 national budget of the DA and its attached agencies Thursday, October 5, 2023. “Can you explain to me why a fish port that is having problems will increase their budget by 100 percent? If we will continue with the reclamation, people will be having a hard time going to the fish port of Navotas. Why are we increasing the budget when there is a problem?” Villar asked. In fact, Villar said all ports in Manila are already complaining that they will be affected by the reclamation, including international shipping lines or organizations. Villar asked officials to answer her query on the Navotas port on a later date after they have failed to give her an answer. (Voltaire F. Domingo/Senate PRIB)

Man arrested for large-scale onion smuggling – Villar

Sen. Cynthia Villar (File photo from the Senate Public Relations and Information Bureau)

MANILA, Philippines — A man accused of large-scale onion smuggling was arrested on Wednesday morning, according to Sen. Cynthia Villar.

Villar, the sponsor of the 2024 budget of the Department of Agriculture (DA), identified the smuggler as Jayson de Roxas Taculog.

“They said that they issued a warrant of arrest to Taculog and they have arrested him this morning so that’s good news,” Villar  said during the Senate plenary debates on the 2024 DA budget.

Villar, speaking to Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, said Taculog was caught smuggling 30 containers of onions. She added that 15 cases were filed against him, but most were dismissed by the court.

READ: Raps filed vs 40 onion smugglers, price manipulators — DA

READ: Senate panels OK bill vs crimes of agri economic sabotage

“That’s why I want [charges against smugglers] to be non-bailable. At least if the court dismisses him, he has experienced being in jail,” Villar said, speaking partly in Filipino.

“You know they are rich, they don’t want to go to jail so that is the provision of our anti-economic sabotage law.”

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. earlier certified Senate Bill No. 2432 — the proposed Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage Act — as urgent.

The measure, which seeks to repeal the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act of 2016, aims to end acts of smuggling, hoarding, profiteering, and cartel of agricultural and fishery products.

Penalties for these crimes include life imprisonment and a fine thrice the value of the agricultural and fishery products involved.

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