By: Jordeene B. Lagare – Reporter / @jordeenelagare

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Agriculture (DA) has disputed corruption allegations over a blocked rice shipment from Vietnam, saying the agency itself ordered its cancellation even though the vessel was already en route to the Philippines.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said his office ordered the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) to cancel the import permit for the cargo aboard MV Tay Son 2 several days before it reached the archipelago.

“Critics of the DA are painting a false picture of this incident, suggesting malice and corruption through insinuations that border on libel,” Tiu Laurel said in a statement on Wednesday.

“The records will show otherwise. It was the DA, through my office, that stopped the shipment by ordering the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) to cancel its sanitary and phytosanitary import clearance, even though the vessel was already on its way to the Philippines,” the agriculture chief added.

Tiu Laurel said the agency acted on Planters Product Inc.’s (PPI) request to cancel the permit upon learning of the mislabeled shipment.

According to PPI, the shipment contained 5-percent broken rice instead of the 25-percent broken rice, while the importation contract had already lapsed.

Vietnam originally scheduled the arrival of about 12,480 metric tons of rice in July, during the lean period.

However, the rice shipment arrived at the Port of Davao on Sept. 14 when the wet harvest season had started. The captain of MV Tay Son 2 refused to submit the cargo for BPI’s inspection.

The vessel left Davao three days later while the Bureau of Customs was assessing how to handle the shipment.

Subsequently, Tiu Laurel directed the DA’s Inspectorate and Enforcement to issue a nationwide hold order to prevent the cargo from arriving at other domestic ports.

The captain continued to resist BPI’s inspection attempts even as the Philippine Navy intercepted the vessel off Sarangani and brought it to the Port of General Santos City.

The authorities ordered the vessel to return to Davao, where it remains as the BOC evaluates the shipment in question.

“BPI had recommended returning the rice to its country of origin and was awaiting action by the customs bureau,” Tiu Laurel said.

Under existing rules, local authorities may seize and destroy, return to its country of origin, or ship to a third country any agricultural products that entered the country without a valid sanitary and phytosanitary import clearance. /pai

Published Date: October 15, 2026