THE Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage (AAES) Council has intensified the Marcos administration’s campaign against large-scale smugglers, profiteers, and cartel operations distorting the country’s food supply chains.
Office of the Special Assistant to the President for Investments and Economic Affairs (OSAPIEA) Secretary Frederick Go on Thursday, May 29, said the council has approved key enforcement rules “going after the big fish”.
“The Council reaffirmed that its enforcement efforts will focus on dismantling major syndicates that manipulate markets and unfairly drive up prices,” the OSAPIEA said.
In a meeting at the Malacañan Palace on May 28, the council approved the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) operational protocols, which provide a framework for coordinated action against major market saboteurs.
It also greenlit the council’s Enforcement Group, composed of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), Philippine National Police (PNP), Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), and Department of Finance, to implement the AAES Act and run after smuggling and profiteering networks.
DOJ-appointed Special Team of Prosecutors will also help in expediting the filing and resolution of cases under the AAES Act.
Moreover, the Department of Agriculture (DA) also secured backing for its Daily Price Index (DPI) framework, a tool to monitor agricultural prices and expose price manipulation.
The council committed to do regular audits and public dissemination of the DPI.
Guidelines were also approved for declaring “abnormal situations”, which would signal to the council that immediate response is required to address market disruptions triggered by economic sabotage or other supply chain issues.
Meanwhile, the DOF, Bureau of Customs, and the Department of Information and Communications Technology were tasked to fully implement the National Single Window to streamline import tracking.
The agencies were also instructed to ensure storage readiness for confiscated goods.
“Protecting consumers entails going after the root of the problem — large-scale economic saboteurs who distort our agricultural and fisheries markets,” Go said. (PNA)
