Gold smuggling surged during Aquino administration. Computed from UN Comtrade Data
The data show that gold smuggling started only in 2005, but rose to huge amounts during the administration of former President Aquino, when more than two dozen Chinese companies rushed into the gold mining industry in the country. Aquino’s Liberal Party and its 2016 candidate Mar Roxas were known to be close to several miners, and were very supportive of the mining industry.