Tiu Laurel rejects auction of seized Vietnam rice

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. has opposed auctioning off a shipment of seized Vietnamese rice, recommending instead that it be donated to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) for distribution to needy families.

In an interview, Tiu Laurel said auctioning the shipment could allow those involved in its questionable importation to profit from the sale.

“I am not in favor of auctioning this,” Tiu Laurel said, referring to the 5 percent broken DT8 rice, a highly marketable variety from Vietnam.

He said authorities could either destroy the shipment, which would result in food wastage, or turn it over to the DSWD for distribution to beneficiaries.

Tiu Laurel also rejected the proposal to place the rice under the National Food Authority, saying it should not be handled by the Department of Agriculture or its attached agencies.

“Better not give it to us. Otherwise, people might think we are in cahoots with whoever tried to bring this rice even after the import permit’s cancellation,” he said.

The shipment, carried by the vessel MV Tay Son 2, was covered by an import permit for 12,480 metric tons. The DA canceled its sanitary and phytosanitary import clearance after receiving adverse information about the cargo.

The vessel arrived at the Port of Davao on 14 September, but its captain refused to submit the rice for inspection by the Bureau of Plant Industry. It left Davao three days later while the Bureau of Customs was determining the shipment’s disposition.

The Philippine Navy later intercepted the vessel off Sarangani and brought it to the Port of General Santos City. Authorities subsequently ordered it back to Davao as the case continued to be processed.

The BPI recommended returning the rice to its country of origin, while the BOC was tasked with determining its final disposition under applicable rules.

Imported agricultural products without valid permits may be seized and destroyed, returned to their country of origin, or shipped to a third country.

The BOC also considered an auction to prevent the rice from deteriorating while in government custody. Tiu Laurel, however, favored donating the shipment to the DSWD, citing the distribution of confiscated fish to beneficiaries after safety testing as a precedent.