Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan declined the offer to head the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, saying he wants to focus on agricultural reforms and the fight against smuggling threatening the country’s food security.
In an interview with DZRH, Pangilinan said the agriculture sector faces serious problems, from low production and lack of support for farmers and fisherfolk to rampant smuggling of goods.
“Matindi rin kasi ang problema ng agrikultura sa ngayon – sektor ng magasasaka at mangingisda. Mabigat din ang problema (sa) kakulangan ng pagkain at kakulangan ng suporta sa ating agri at fisheries sectors,” he said.
As chairperson of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Pangilinan noted that more than half of smuggling cases from 2021 to 2025 were dismissed due to incomplete documents from the Bureau of Customs.
He lamented that no major smuggler has been jailed despite the Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage Law being in effect for a decade.
“Lalabanan natin ito dahil ito ang dahilan bakit pabagsak ng pabagsak ang ating outputs at produkto sa agrikultura, at tumataas ang presyo ng pagkain dahil kasama diyan yung smuggling na pinapatay ang lokal na produksyon natin,” according to him.
Pangilinan also raised concerns about corruption within the agriculture system and vowed to pursue “big fish” involved in smuggling.IMT
