Newly-confirmed Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. on Tuesday vowed to chase agriculture smugglers whose list was given to him by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
Facing the Commission on Appointments, Tiu-Laurel said he would go after the smugglers “by first quarter” next year.
Tiu-Laurel was asked by Senator Grace Poe if he and the President discussed the “usual suspects” in agriculture smuggling.
“Yes, a few. Basically, we have those names already of the people that were usual suspects. I have a new intelligence and enforcement unit who are verifying everything, so maybe by first quarter of next year we will be moving it already,” he told the CA panel.
He promised to file cases against those involved in smuggling.
Poe said the government should pursue cases against the smugglers in the list to set an example.
Tiu-Laurel said he would tap national and even international law enforcers to stop food hoarders, price manipulators and smugglers.
“That’s the strict order to me by President—to clean the DA, go after the smugglers and increase food production,”Tiu-Laurel said in his opening statement.
The DA secretary said he was called by the President to serve the country and to lead it out of high food prices, low food production, broken food supply chains, lack of irrigation, cold storage, credit and other key inputs and aging farmers and fisherfolk.
“Add climate change and geopolitical disruptions to this mix, and the task to feed all 118 million Filipinos becomes even more daunting,” he said.
Tiu-Laurel said he views the DA’s problems as a challenge.
“And I shall apply my knowledge and experience in building a diversified global company to this achievable goal,” he said.
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