MANILA, Philippines — Despite the Senate being on lockdown to prevent the further spread of COVID-19, Senate President Vicente Sotto III is poised to call a public hearing of the Committee of the Whole to look into unabated corruption in the form of “tong-pats” and technical smuggling of poultry and pork products
“I’m timing it. I will probably still call a hearing even if it is locked down because maybe when the break comes, they might sign with the President the EO (executive order) that lowers the tariff,” said Sotto in Filipino in an interview over dwIZ.
“When they do that, the local hog raisers will have a hard time. It’s OK to import, but if you lower the tariff, who wants to earn there?” Sotto asked.
Sotto declared a total lockdown at the Senate premises from last week to Tuesday after several employees were found positive with COVID-19.
Sotto said he will consult his fellow senators on the date of the first public hearing.
In adopting Senate Resolution (SR) no. 685 introduced and sponsored by Sen. Panfilo Lacson, the Senate constituted the Committee of the Whole in food security crisis and the African swine fever (ASF) with Sotto as chairman.
SR 685 also seeks the adoption of policy solutions on importation which is foreseen to cause billions of revenue losses and the unabated corruption in the form of “tong-pats” – or price padding – and technical smuggling of poultry and pork products.
In sponsoring the measure, Lacson said the inquiry will try to find out if there is truth to information that there is a padded cost of P5 to P7 per kilogram of pork that would go to the pockets of unscrupulous officials.
Lacson also said he deemed it wise to request that the resolution be referred to the Committee of the Whole because it involves issues that go beyond the jurisdiction of the committee of agriculture, food and agrarian reform, such as corruption, health and foregone revenues.
“It is high time for the Senate as a whole to take the bull by its horns, face the problem squarely and adopt policies and measures that will alleviate the sufferings of the local industries that are already reeling from the ASF crisis, compounded by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and fundamentally, accord them the support and opportunity as active partners in development and nation-building,” the resolution stated.