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'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>"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," 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&key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&spid=3001339&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>"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," 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 'intervention' 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>"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," 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 'intervention' for farmers needed to pull down onion prices</a></li></ul><p>"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... 'yung short-term solution which is importation.</p><p>"Nag-iingat tayo gawin yan para maprotektahan, mabalanse natin... ang produksyon at ating pag-import," 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>

<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'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>"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," 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&key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&spid=3001339&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>"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," 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 'intervention' 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>"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," 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 'intervention' for farmers needed to pull down onion prices</a></li></ul><p>"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... 'yung short-term solution which is importation.</p><p>"Nag-iingat tayo gawin yan para maprotektahan, mabalanse natin... ang produksyon at ating pag-import," 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>

<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>

<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>

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

DA official vows to follow law in releasing smuggled onions | ABS-CBN News

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DA official vows to follow law in releasing smuggled onions

DA official vows to follow law in releasing smuggled onions