Prioritize campaign vs food smuggling, not tobacco products, government told

• Published date: 09 February 2023
• Publication title: Business Mirror

A consumer group said the government should focus its efforts in curbing the smuggling of agricultural food products and stop using the rising food prices to include tobacco among agricultural commodities covered by Republic Act 10845 or the 'Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act of 2016.'

Malayang Konsumer spokesperson Atty. Simoun Salinas said, 'Given the rising prices of pantry basics like onions, the Marcos administration is correct in taking steps to curb agri smuggling, but for some reason some of our legislators would rather champion tobacco and cigarettes.'

'Food security ang isyu. Pagkain para sa Pilipino ang prayoridad. Ito ang dapat na tutukan natin. Hindi yosi,' he said in a statement.

The group drew attention to Senate Bill 1812, sponsored by Sen. Lito Lapid that seeks to amend RA 10845 and include both unprocessed and processed tobacco products, such as cigarettes in the same category as rice, sugar, vegetables, meat and other essential food products entitled to protection against smuggling.

RA 10845 classifies large-scale smuggling of these core household items as 'economic sabotage.'

Salinas said the proposed objective to give special favors to the tobacco industry, whose primary product is cigarette, which causes addiction and serious health problems.

'Why give special treatment to tobacco products, and why now? Bakit sinasakyan ang isyu ng smuggling of agri products para maisingit ang tobacco?' he asked.

'Poprotektahan mo ang industriyang tabako at sigarilyo? E bisyo yan, masama sa kalusugan yan, lalo...