NEWSFLASH

ILOCOS SMUGGLING CENTER RAIDED, 443 MOTORBIKES SEIZED

Magsingal, Ilocos Sur, Jan. 18, 2000 Elements of the anti-smuggling group Task Force Aduana last weekend launched an air and ground assault on the village of Poro Pingit in Magsingal town Saturday, and confiscated motorcycles and household appliances worth millions of pesos.

The task force, backed by two helicopter gunships, recovered 443 motorcycles including 18 big racing bikes, and 20 television sets, video and tape recorders believed to have been smuggled into the country by ships coming from Japan, Taiwan and China.

Earlier news reports alleged that ocean-going vessels sailing from Japan, Taiwan and China have occasionally dumped the second-hand motorcycles and appliances in the high seas to the waiting arms of fishermen who allegedly were aware of the time and date of the vessels' passage.

Ilocos Sur officials led by Gov. Luis "Chavit" Singson denounced yesterday what he described as the martial law-like raid staged by elements of the Task Force Aduana on a coastal village last weekend.

But President Estrada defended yesterday the raid by the presidential task force, which is headed by Presidential Security Group chief Gen. Jose Calimlim, saying it was done legally and in accordance with the law.

"There is prima facie evidence, on the spot, it was actual (seizure), the bikes were not taken from the houses," the President pointed out.

He said he ordered Calimlim and Singson to work out with Finance Secretary Jose Pardo a possible tax and duty payment scheme for the seized bikes.

On Singson's suggestion that the bikes' owners be allowed to pay taxes, Mr. Estrada warned this may set off another controversy as in the "hot" cars issue.

"But these farmers do not have the money for these things. So I want to go after the masterminds or the financier which in this case was allegedly an Indian national," he said.

The fishing village has long been suspected to be the entry point of contraband motorcycles, known locally as "chop-chop."

Singson vowed in a radio interview yesterday to file legal action against the raiding party -- composed of around 60 soldiers led by an Army official identified only as General Carillo -- for having allegedly violated the rights of village residents, some of whom were said to be physically harmed.

He dared Calimlim to go after the big-time smugglers in Metro Manila and not waste time on the small fry.

In a statement released by Malacañang yesterday, Calimlim said the Ilocos raid should serve as a warning to smugglers.

"I hope these operations we have conducted these past few days in the Ilocos region will serve as warning to all smugglers and their cohorts," he said.

Calimlim also identified two families, Torricer and Arquero, as alleged "big-time" smugglers in the area, adding that their operations flourished because of collusion with public servants.

The raiders found an ally in former Rep. Mariano Tajon of the province's first district, who told reporters yesterday that search warrants were not needed "because the place is well-known and notorious" for smuggled motorcycles.

He said that the motorcycles are displayed prominently in the fishing village and the raiders can just confiscate them "if there are no importation documents that their owners can present."

The former lawmaker noted that Poro Pingit is not a legitimate port of entry (of imported merchandise) and the villagers have not been paying taxes for them "to the detriment of the legitimate manufacturers and traders who are selling similar products."

"Of course, they sell the merchandise cheaper, that's why they're so popular; but what about the legitimate traders and manufacturers?" Tajon asked.