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The Bureau of Plant Industry filed a formal complaint against an importer for alleged smuggling P20.8 million worth of fresh carrots and yellow onions through Subic port
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The complaint submitted to the Olongapo City Prosecutor’s Office accuses Betron Consumer Goods Trading and its owner, Ronnel Manalang, of violating the Food Safety Act, and the 1978 Plant Quarantine Law
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The complaint involves five shipping containers declared as frozen fish egg balls but were found, upon inspection, to contain 56,998 kilos of carrots and 85,626 kilos of yellow onions, valued at approximately P20.8 million
The Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) has filed a formal complaint against an importer for alleged smuggling P20.8 million worth of fresh carrots and yellow onions through Subic port.
The complaint submitted to the Olongapo City Prosecutor’s Office accuses Betron Consumer Goods Trading and its owner, Ronnel Manalang, of violating Republic Act No. 10611 or the Food Safety Act, and Presidential Decree No. 1433 or the 1978 Plant Quarantine Law, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said in a statement. BPI is an attached agency pf DA.
In August 2024, five shipping containers declared as frozen fish egg balls were found, upon inspection, to contain 56,998 kilos of carrots and 85,626 kilos of yellow onions, valued at approximately P20.8 million.
In her affidavit, Carmela Rivera, area manager of DA-National Plant Quarantine Services Division at Subic port, confirmed that the misdeclared agricultural goods were confiscated immediately to safeguard public health.
Further analysis revealed traces of E. coli and unregistered pesticide residues on the seized produce.
The products lacked the mandatory sanitary and phytosanitary import clearances.
A show-cause order earlier issued to Betron and Manalang was also ignored, prompting BPI to escalate the case.
On December 9, 2024, BPI filed the formal complaint, leading to the revocation of Betron’s importation license. Both Betron and Manalang were also blacklisted, barring them from future operations in the agricultural sector.
DA said the complaint highlights deliberate misdeclaration and fraudulent documentation, which not only endangered public health but also defrauded the government. Violations of the Food Safety Act carry severe penalties, including imprisonment and substantial fines.
BPI reiterated its commitment to upholding food safety standards and protecting consumers from risks posed by illegally imported and improperly handled agricultural goods.
READ: BPI, BOC confiscate 25MT of undocumented yellow onions
