Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. has firmly opposed plans to auction thousands of metric tons of seized Vietnamese rice, warning the move could let those behind its illegal entry earn from the shipment. Speaking Thursday, Tiu Laurel said the 12,480-metric ton cargo should instead be turned over to the Department of Social Welfare and Development for distribution to needy families rather than sold off.
The shipment, consisting of salable 5 percent broken DT8 rice, was flagged after irregularities emerged in its import permits. Authorities canceled its sanitary and phytosanitary clearance, prompting the vessel MV Tay Son 2 to leave Davao Port without inspection before it was intercepted off Sarangani and returned to General Santos City, then back to Davao. The Bureau of Customs had considered auctioning the rice to keep it from spoiling while in custody, and the Bureau of Plant Industry previously recommended sending it back to Vietnam.
Tiu Laurel explained that auctioning the cargo carries the risk of the rice falling back into the hands of those who sought to import it improperly. He also ruled out having the Department of Agriculture or its agencies like the National Food Authority handle the stock, saying doing so might create public suspicion that the agency was in collusion with importers. While destroying the rice remains a legal option, the Agriculture chief noted this would waste food. He cited past practice where confiscated seafood, after safety testing, was donated to communities—a model he said works best here as well.
Under Philippine rules, improperly imported agricultural goods may be destroyed, returned to origin, or sent elsewhere. Tiu Laurel’s recommendation now places the focus squarely on the Bureau of Customs to decide whether to accept the donation route, balancing food security against the need to ensure no one profits from violations of the country’s import laws.
