MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan on Tuesday welcomed the Bureau of Customs’ (BOC) filing of six criminal complaints over shipments allegedly misdeclared as “chicken lollipops” but found to contain thousands of sacks of onions and boxes of carrots, saying enforcement efforts must go beyond raids and result in convictions.
In a statement, Pangilinan said the case should demonstrate that agricultural smuggling carries consequences because it negatively affects farmers, consumers and legitimate traders.
“We welcome the decision of the Bureau of Customs to file complaints over the misdeclared agricultural shipments and hold those involved accountable, including its personnel,” Pangilinan said.
The BOC filed the complaints before the Department of Justice (DOJ) on Sept. 22 against the owner and representatives of the importer, a licensed customs broker, Customs officials and personnel, and other individuals allegedly involved in the shipments.
The six shipments, consigned to Berches Consumer Goods Trading and which arrived in June 2025, were found during physical examination to contain 15,029 sacks of fresh white onions and 2,164 boxes of fresh carrots.
The agricultural products allegedly lacked the required Sanitary and Phytosanitary Import Clearance from the Bureau of Plant Industry.
The BOC complaints cite alleged violations of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act, including fraudulent misdeclaration and the importation of regulated agricultural products without the required clearances.
The complaints against Customs personnel also cite provisions penalizing willful neglect of duty and acts that enable violations of customs law.
Pangilinan called on the DOJ to act promptly, urged the BOC to disclose the full facts surrounding the shipments, and asked all government agencies involved to coordinate closely and pursue charges under the Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage Act when warranted.
“This cannot end here. There must be cases filed, those responsible must be held accountable, and there must be a judgment,” he said.
