Marcos signs Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage Act

DAVAO CITY — President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. signed Republic Act No. 12022, known as the Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage Act, on September 26. This legislation aims to make food more affordable, improve farmers’ livelihoods, and enhance tax collection.

Senator Loren Legarda expressed optimism about the law’s potential impact, stating that it is expected to lead to lower food prices and better living conditions for farmers. The law targets issues such as smuggling, profiteering, and hoarding of agricultural products.

“We welcome the signing of this priority measure, which aims to make food products more accessible for every Filipino,” Legarda said in a news release. “With the proper implementation of this law, the State will have greater authority to capture, prosecute, and punish those who exploit the unequal system between our farmers and those who seek to profit unfairly.”

Under the new law, agricultural smuggling, hoarding, profiteering, forming cartels, and financing these activities will be classified as acts of economic sabotage, punishable by life imprisonment and fines triple the value of the products involved. Those who aid or abet these crimes face 20 to 30 years in prison and fines double the product value.

An Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage Council will be established to ensure the law is effectively implemented.

“Our fervent hope is to secure better days for our farmers, who have suffered from unfair business practices and adverse weather conditions that have devastated their crops,” Legarda added. “With this new law, we expect significant improvements in tax collection and compliance, driven by increased availability of products for public consumption.”