SA kabila ng mahigpit na border protection na ipinatutupad ng Bureau of Customs (BOC) at ng 17 district collections nito sa iba’t ibang lugar sa bansa ay marami pa rin ang pumapatol sa smuggling.
Bakit kaya? Dahil ba walang naparurusahan o mahina ang batas?
Kung pagbabasehan ang Republic Act No. 4712 na ipinasa noong June 18, 1966, ‘AN ACT AMENDING CERTAIN SECTIONS OF THE TARIFF AND CUSTOMS CODE OF THE PHILIPPINES,’ papatawan ng multa at pagkakakulong ang lalabag dito.
Narito ang isang bahagi ng parusa, 5. “The penalty of prison mayor shall be imposed when the crime of serious physical injuries shall have been committed and the penalty of reclusion perpetua to death shall be imposed when the crime of homicide shall have been committed by reason of on the occasion of the unlawful importation.”
Kung ang lumabag ay dayuhan at ang hatol sa kanya ay hindi kamatayan, siya ay ipade-deport pagkatapos pagdusahan ang kanyang sentensya nang walang ‘proceeding of deportation’ na magaganap.
Kung siya naman ay government official o empleyado ng gobyerno, ang penalty ay maximum base sa nakalagay sa batas.
Bukod dito, mayroon siyang karagdagang kaparusahan na perpetual disqualification mula sa public office, bawal bumoto at hindi siya maaaring sumali sa anomang halalan.
Nakapaloob sa RA No. 4712, na mabigat ang kaparusahan laban sa smuggling.
Sa Republic Act No. 10845, “AN ACT DECLARING LARGE-SCALE AGRICULTURE SMUGGLING AS ECONOMIC SABOTAGE, PRESCRIBING PENALTIES THEREFORE AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.”
Sa Section 1. Short Title. – “This Act shall be known as the ‘Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act of 2016′”.
Nakapaloob sa Section 3. Large-Scale Agricultural Smuggling as Economic Sabotage. – “The crime of large-scale agricultural smuggling as economic sabotage, involving sugar, corn, pork, poultry, garlic, onion, carrots, fish, and cruciferous vegetables, in its raw state, or which have undergone the simple processes of preparation or preservation for the market, with a minimum amount of one million pesos (P1,000,000.00), or rice, with a minimum amount of ten million pesos (P10,000,000.00), as valued by the Bureau of Customs, is committed through any of the following acts.”
Narito naman ang Section 4. Penalties – (a) “The penalty of life imprisonment and a fine of twice the fair value of the smuggled agricultural product and the aggregate amount of the taxes, duties and other charges avoided shall be imposed on any person who commits any of the acts enumerated under Section 3 of this Act.”
May kaakibat din na pagkakakulong na hindi bababa sa 17 hanggang 20 taon at multa na dobleng halaga ng smuggled agricultural products at ang aggregate amount ng taxes, duties and iba pang bayarin ang ipatutupad sa opisyales ng dummy corporations, non-government organization, associations, cooperative, o single proprietorships na nakakaalam sa sell, lend, lease, assign, consent o hinayaang magamit ang kanilang import permits para sa layunin ng smuggling.
Sa dalawang batas na ito ay pawang mabibigat ang kaparusahan sa mga lalabag, subalit bakit hindi natatakot ang mga smuggler dito?
Sadya bang pasaway ang mga Pilipino o maluwag lang talaga ang nagpapatupad ng dalawang batas na ito?
oOo
Para sa sumbong at reaksyon, mag-email sa joel2amongo@yahoo.com o mag-text sa cell# 0977-751-1840.
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