The Philippine Senate on Wednesday approved on second reading a priority bill that seeks to impose harsher penalties on smugglers of agricultural products.
Senate Bill 2432 will lower the value of smuggled agriculture and fishery products to P1 million from P10 million for the act to be considered economic sabotage.
Violators face life imprisonment and a fine worth thrice the value of agricultural and fishery products that they smuggled.
Senator Cynthia A. Villar, the bill’s author and sponsor, earlier said the government has been losing at least P200 billion in revenue each year to smuggling. — John Victor D. Ordonez
