Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan is visibly taking the fight against food smugglers personally — and he made that loud and clear at the Manila International Container Port (MICP).

Pangilinan led the inspection of seized misdeclared frozen chicken breasts and fish balls — a ₱12.96-million illicit shipment from China — intercepted following a Pre-Lodgement Control Order and a string of solid intelligence work.

“This is the first time in Customs history where a Deputy Collector was cited in contempt and jailed by the Senate,” Pangilinan emphasized, a direct jab at those still daring to profit from smuggling. “It shows how serious we are — and how serious this Customs leadership is — in cleaning up the system.”

And he didn’t stop there.

“With Commissioner Nepomuceno stepping in, it feels like another Vince Dizon situation—someone sent to clean up, take charge, and get things done,” he added, a striking endorsement of Nepomuceno’s reformist drive inside one of the government’s most corruption-scarred institutions.

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The New Customs Offensive: Not Just Talk

Commissioner Nepomuceno, flanked by his top enforcement chiefs —
✅ DC for AOCG Atty. Agaton Uvero
✅ DC for Intelligence Group Romeo Allan Rosales
✅ DC for ESS PMGen. Roberto “Bobby” Bathan (Ret.)
✅ Assistant Commissioner Vincent Philip C. Maronilla
✅ MICP Collector Rizalino Jose C. Torralba

— underscored that this operation is proof that the BOC is taking the President’s mandate dead seriously.

“We are ensuring that only safe, authorized products reach Filipino families,” Nepomuceno said. “The safety and welfare of our people remain our top priority — and our teams delivered.”

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A Smuggling Modus Exposed

Assistant Commissioner Maronilla explained the deceitful “layering” method used:

“Only 240 of 5,300 cartons contained the declared fish balls. The rest were frozen chicken breasts — real agri-smuggling.”

It’s a dirty trick long used to evade agricultural import regulations — one that the Senate has been grilling smugglers and erring personnel for in ongoing hearings.

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BOC’s Enforcement Triad in Action

Under Nepomuceno’s leadership, specialized units have been aggressively tightening the noose:

🔹 AOCG under Atty. Uvero oversees port-level controls and seizures
🔹 Intelligence Group led by Rosales tracks the networks behind the shipments
🔹 ESS under Gen. Bathan drives criminal case buildup and security operations

With Collector Torralba executing decisive port actions — including the Warrants of Seizure and Detention — the machinery is clearly moving with newfound unity.

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Political Will Meets Enforcement Muscle

The message from Pangilinan during the port visit was unmistakable:

The Senate and the BOC are now in lockstep.

That’s something smugglers — and their protectors — never planned for.

“Since the hearings began, the BOC has been consistently providing documents and information,” Pangilinan noted. “This is the partnership we need to finally put a stop to agricultural smuggling.”

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What This Means

Food prices, farmer protection, and national security are all on the line. This seizure — and the public show of force — signals that the era of meaningless warnings may be over.

The smugglers have been warned:
There are new sheriffs in Customs — and a Senator is watching their every move.

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