00:00Smuggling and other so-called agricultural economic sabotage can no longer be allowed in the new law passed by the President.
00:11The other punishment that is heavier than the current one, let's find out in the live coverage of Van Myrie Ayvan.
00:20Well, according to President Bongbong Marcos, more than P3 billion was lost in the country just in 2023 because of agricultural smuggling.
00:32But because of the Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage Act that was signed just now, smugglers and hoarders will be reconsidered because of the heavier punishment and higher fine in the future.
00:51This August, almost P50 million worth of smuggled agricultural products like onions, carrots and tomatoes were visited in a botanical garden in Navotas.
01:00P85 million worth of products were smuggled in Paranaque on September 5.
01:06And P18 million worth of smuggled cigarettes were confiscated in Maguindanao del Norte on Monday.
01:13But there are a lot of cases of smuggling that are smuggled without waste and add to the competition to the local products.
01:19That's why farmers can lose money.
01:22Economic Sabotage is the reason why the Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage Act was signed by the President.
01:29This punishment is heavier than the current law that was passed in 2016.
01:34Back then, the price of smuggled goods was doubled, aside from the long-term punishment that I mentioned.
01:40Under this law, smuggling, hoarding, profiteering and cartel operations involving agricultural and fishery products will now be classified as economic sabotage.
01:53A non-bailable offense punishable by life imprisonment and fines up to five times the value of the goods involved.
02:02Those who are thinking of committing a crime will be punished because they can be jailed with no bail.
02:10The law was also passed to form the Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage Council, which is chaired by the President himself.
02:17There will also be an enforcement group formed by the PNP, NBI, Coast Guard and the Department of Finance.
02:23There will also be a team of fiscals that will investigate cases of smuggling and smuggling.
02:28No longer will these cases gather dust. They will be prioritized and they will be resolved urgently.
02:34That's good. At least, there will be a separation and there will really be an end to this.
02:45Mel, after the flood, this will be postponed and the law will be effective within 15 days. Mel.
02:53Ivan, who will be the target of this law? In raids, in warehouses, it's usually people who are being attacked. Ivan?
03:05That's right, Mel. Of course, the President wants to punish the mastermind, but the law will not punish anyone.
03:12The employees, the staff, the transporters and the financiers will all be punished under this law, Mel.
03:22Thank you very much, Ivan Meirina.
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