DA official vows to follow law in releasing smuggled onions

Job Manahan, ABS-CBN News 

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Red onions are sold at the Paco Market in Manila on December 28, 2022. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/news/01/05/20221228-red-onions-market-jc-10.jpg"/><figcaption>Red onions are sold at the Paco Market in Manila on December 28, 2022.<em> Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News</em></figcaption></figure></div><h3>Importation possible but still band-aid solution: exec </h3><p>MANILA - The Department of Agriculture (DA) on Thursday maintained that they would follow the law in releasing smuggled onions to the market, saying these would also undergo sanitation. </p><p>DA Deputy Spokesperson Rex Estoperez said they are still studying measures how to release these confiscated onions without circumventing laws. </p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/12/29/22/marcos-wants-govt-to-sell-smuggled-red-onions-to-bring-down-price">Marcos wants gov&#x27;t to sell smuggled red onions to bring down price</a></li></ul><p>These are still illegal, he said, and the agency does not want to condone it.</p><p>&quot;May nagsasabi na sayang naman pero ito ay dadaan sa ating mga laws, orders, na kung ito ay ilalabas natin, dapat dumaan sa ating mga —wala dapat tayong bina-violate na laws,&quot; Estoperez said during a televised briefing. </p><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=2404580" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div><p>&quot;Pangalawa, dumaan dito sa sanitary section. Yun lang naman ang kailangan natin. Ang isa pa, kumbaga iligal yan eh. Mukhang ito-tolerate natin, ilalabas sa merkado, mukhang hindi naman tama yun,&quot; he added. </p><p>The prices of red onions still play around P400 to P600 per kilogram in some wet markets, days after the New Year celebration. </p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/01/02/23/presyo-ng-sibuyas-naglalaro-pa-rin-sa-p600-sa-mga-palengke">Lagpas sa SRP: Presyo ng sibuyas, naglalaro pa rin sa P600 sa mga palengke</a></li></ul><p>President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. earlier sought the release of smuggled onions in the market to pull down the prices of the commodity. </p><p>Agriculture officials are considering selling the confiscated onions to Kadiwa stores once these are confirmed safe for consumption. Some onions though have been found with <a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/12/12/22/da-says-smuggled-onions-contain-chemical-residue-e-coli">chemical residue and E. coli</a>. </p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/12/27/22/intervention-needed-to-pull-down-onion-prices-da">Agri dept says &#x27;intervention&#x27; for farmers needed to pull down onion prices</a></li></ul><p>Meanwhile, Estoperez said importation of red onions is still possible if its farmgate price remains high. </p><p>Estimates from the Bureau of Plant Industry showed farmers could harvest some 19,000 metric tons of red onions this season, while some fields continue to harvest the commodity. </p><p>&quot;Kung ganito ang sitwasyon, na ang farmgate price hindi pa rin bumababa, mukhang mapipilitan pa rin tayo, sabihin natin na nag-iingat tayo sa band-aid solution na pag-import,&quot; he said. </p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/12/27/22/intervention-needed-to-pull-down-onion-prices-da">Agri dept says &#x27;intervention&#x27; for farmers needed to pull down onion prices</a></li></ul><p>&quot;Hindi pa rin bumababa ang farmgate price. Nasa P300 pa rin... Ano gagawin ng DA? Kung hindi [matapos] ang pagtaas ng presyo na ito, ang gagawin na lang natin siguro is... &#x27;yung short-term solution which is importation.</p><p>&quot;Nag-iingat tayo gawin yan para maprotektahan, mabalanse natin... ang produksyon at ating pag-import,&quot; he added. </p><p>His agency will assess in the coming months any interventions they fell short of and what they can still do to address the issue, he said. <br/> </p>

DA Deputy Spokesperson Rex Estoperez said they are still studying measures how to release these confiscated onions without circumventing laws. 

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DA official vows to follow law in releasing smuggled onions

DA official vows to follow law in releasing smuggled onions

Job Manahan,

ABS-CBN News

Published Jan 05, 2023 01:15 PM PHT

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