AGRICULTURE Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. opposed the move to auction off the seized Vietnamese rice shipment from MV Tay Son 2, adding that it should instead be donated to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
“I am not in favor of auctioning this,” Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel said in a radio interview on Thursday, warning that auctioning the shipment could allow questionable beneficiaries to profit.
The secretary expressed concerns the rice from MV Tay Son 2 could just land in the hands of those who want to profit from the 5-percent broken DT8 rice — a highly salable variety from Vietnam.
Tiu Laurel said the government could also destroy the rice, but that would mean wasting food.
A better option, he said, is to give it to the DSWD so it could be given to families in need.
He also rejected a suggestion to place the shipment under the National Food Authority, saying the rice should not be handled by the Department of Agriculture (DA) or its attached agencies.
“Better not give it to us. Otherwise, people might think we are in cahoots with whoever tried to bring this rice even after the import permit’s cancellation,” Tiu Laurel said.
Last month, the Bureau of Customs (BOC), in coordination with the Department of Agriculture and the Philippine Navy, apprehended the MV Tay Son 2, carrying 12,500 metric tons of rice from Vietnam and another vessel, MV Lucky Star, with 7,500 metric tons of rice over questionable documentation and the cancellation of vital sanitary permits.
The rice, carried by the vessel MV Tay Son 2, was covered by an import permit for 12,480 metric tons. The DA ordered the cancellation of the shipment’s sanitary and phytosanitary import clearance after receiving derogatory information about the cargo.
The vessel arrived at the Port of Davao on Sept. 14, but its captain refused to submit the rice to the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) for inspection.
Three days later, the vessel left Davao while the BOC was still determining the shipment’s disposition.
The Philippine Navy intercepted the vessel off Sarangani and brought it to the Port of General Santos City. It was later ordered back to Davao, where authorities continued processing the case.
The BPI recommended returning the rice to its country of origin, while the BOC was left to determine the shipment’s final disposition under applicable rules.
Agricultural products imported without valid permits may be seized and destroyed, returned to their country of origin, or shipped to a third country. The BOC also considered auctioning the cargo to prevent the rice from deteriorating while in custody.
