Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, November 17) — The Department of Agriculture (DA) on Friday confirmed the arrest of a “big-time” onion smuggler in Batangas.
Authorities arrested Jayson de Roxas Taculog on Wednesday for allegedly violating Republic Act 10845, or the law declaring large-scale agricultural smuggling as economic sabotage and for submitting fraudulent shipping import documents, and entry and revenue declaration to the Bureau of Customs (BOC).
The DA said Taculog was also accused of \”acting as the broker for a violating importer.\”
Taculog is the owner of Taculog J International Consumer Goods Trading. Authorities have seized in four separate operations ₱78.9 million worth of agricultural products said to have been illegally imported by the company.
The operations were conducted at the Manila International Container Port on Dec. 27, 2022 and on Jan. 3, 4 and 5 this year.
READ: ₱78.9-M worth of smuggled agri goods in Manila seized DA
https://www.cnnphilippines.com/news/2023/1/10/-78.9-M-worth-of-smuggled-agri-goods-in-Manila-seized—DA.html
Based on Taculog’s Food Trader data on Food and Drug Administration, he had a license number issued on Sept. 9, 2021 which expired on Sept. 9, 2023.
\”If found guilty, Taculog faces the possibility of life imprisonment,\” the DA said in a statement. \”He may also be fined twice the fair value of the smuggled agricultural products and the aggregate amount of taxes, duties, and other charges he avoided paying.\”
No bail was recommended for the arrest ordered by Presiding Judge Edilu Hayag of Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 26.
In a Senate budget deliberation on Wednesday, Sen. Cynthia Villar mentioned about it.
\”They have arrested him this morning — large-scale smuggler [of] onions,\” she said, adding that the DA has filed 15 cases against onion smugglers but five were dismissed by the courts.
\”Umpisa pa lang si Taculog. Sa tulong ng pulis, korte at lokal na pamahalaan, patuloy na tutugisin ng Department of Agriculture ang mga smuggler at sumasabotahe sa ating sektor,\” newly appointed Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said in a statement.
