00:00A strong warning against agri-smugglers. That's the message sent by the government through its first enforcement under the new anti-agricultural economics habitation law.
00:09In a landmark operation, authorities seized thousands of sacks of undocumented rice in Cebu as officials vowed to crack down on syndicates that threaten the country's food security.
00:18Our Jesse Atienza narrates the report.
00:20Operatives of the CIDG, PNP, and Maritime Group discovered some 26,000 sacks of smuggled rice suspected to be from Pakistan and Vietnam.
00:32Stored in a warehouse in Talisay City, the chairperson of the Anti-Agricultural Economics Sabotage Council and special assistant to the president for investment and economic affairs, Frederick Goh, personally visited the said warehouse.
00:45We are here today as members of the Anti-Agricultural Economics Sabotage Council, a special body created through the AAES Act of 2024.
00:57In pursuit of the president's commitment to food security and the enforcement of the law, the council is mandated to dismantle large-scale syndicates that manipulate markets and unfairly inflate prices.
01:11The operation was conducted by a virtue of a letter of authority to inspect the warehouse.
01:17Authorities estimate the value of the sacks of rice seeds with no legal and appropriate documents to reach 40 million pesos.
01:24We are all here, nandito po tayong lahat to witness the first ever landmark enforcement of the AAES,
01:31kasama po mga partner agencies namin dito sa city.
01:35Dito, the goods were inspected, examined, and found to be illegal.
01:42This decisive action sends a strong and clear message to economic saboteurs.
01:47The government stands united and shall be relentless in its efforts against such illegal activities.
01:54The Court of Tax Appeals issued a seizure order to confiscate the smuggled staple grain from the warehouse.
02:00Authorities determined that the smuggled rice was registered under the River Valley Distribution Incorporated
02:07and will file the appropriate charges against the said entity.
02:11The operation serves as government's warning against those who continue to sabotage the agricultural economy of the country.
02:18From PTV Cebu, Jesse Atienza.
02:21From the National TV, Fred New and Better Philippines.
