SENATOR Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan on Thursday, December 11, expressed concern about the possible entry of smuggled, uninspected food products into the local food supply chain through restaurant establishments.
This comes after alleged Chinese smuggler Chaoqun Shi, the lessee of a warehouse that was found with P100 million worth of smuggled frozen meat products, admitted during a Senate committee hearing on Wednesday that he used to supply to some restaurants in Pasay City.
These restaurants have since closed down, he claimed.
“Nakakalungkot dahil ito ay pagkain. Inamin nung isang Chinese suspected smuggler na nakakulong ngayon binebenta nya yung mga produkto nya sa mga restaurants diyan daw sa area ng Pasay at yung mga nakumpiskang produkto nila is sinabi ng DA (Department of Agriculture) unfit for human consumption,” the senator lamented in an interview on DZBB.
Pangilinan, who chairs the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Food, and Agrarian Reform, led the hearing and the questioning of Shi’s involvement in the smuggling of agricultural products in the country.
He raised concerns that smuggled food products might also be entering local marketplaces.
“So, pati sa mga palengke hindi na ako magtataka kung may mga nakakalusot nitong mga produktong ito kung meron salmonella, meron e. coli,” he added.
The senator also said that local food production industries are being affected by the entry of smuggled agricultural products, which are sold at low prices.
“Ang dahilan kung bakit mura dahil yung binibili nila doon sa China eh patapon na dapat. Bibilhin nila ng mura dahil patapon na—ang tawag doon salvage value—dadalhin dito, ilulublob sa formalin.”
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