Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero has denied wrongdoing, and Malacañang has urged senators to

initiate the filing of appropriate charges against 22 persons led by the BOC chief who have been
implicated in widespread smuggling of agricultural products.

The 22 were identified by Senate President Vicente Sotto III, who bared this week the committee report
on the chamber’s inquiry into large-scale agricultural smuggling. Sotto said he had presented the 63-
page report to president-elect Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who has opted to serve concurrently as secretary of
agriculture to personally deal with the “severe” problems plaguing the sector.

Apart from Guerrero, the list includes four other BOC officials allegedly protecting smugglers, the
directors of the Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources as well as the
Bureau of Plant Industry, the head of the BPI’s quarantine division, a mayor and several civilians.
Navotas Mayor Toby Tiangco, who felt alluded to as the “Toby Tiangco” in the list, also denied
involvement in smuggling.

Those named have questioned the source of the list, which Sotto said was provided by government
intelligence agents. Agriculture smuggling may constitute the serious offense of economic sabotage. The
best way to clear their names is for the proper charges to be filed.