P22-M FLOUR SMUGGLING ATTEMPT; GMA (TARAY) TEMPER FLARED AT BOC
MANILA, APRIL 15, 2008 (STAR) By Paolo Romero - The presidential temper flared again yesterday after Bureau of Customs officials were slow in preparing administrative and criminal charges against some importers and BOC personnel for attempting to smuggle into the country some P22 million worth of flour from China.
Mrs. Arroyo was scheduled to inspect the shipment contained in 32 vans and consigned to Rubils International Trading Corp., which was confiscated for lack of necessary import permit and clearance from the Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD).
She however arrived late at around 4:40 p.m. as she was forced to travel by land instead of by helicopter from an engagement in the Batangas port due to bad weather.
Upon her arrival at the Port of Manila, Customs Commissioner Napoleon Morales informed the President that the charges against the importers and the BOC officials who allegedly tried to smuggle the flour are still being prepared.
Mrs. Arroyo could not hide her irritation and did not proceed to inspect the seized goods just a few feet away. She instead asked Morales to join her in her coaster along with other Cabinet officials, including Trade Secretary Peter Favila.
“I want it (charges) prepared now,” she was overheard telling Morales.
Prior to her arrival, Morales skirted questions from reporters on whether BOC officials would be investigated for trying to smuggle in the flour.
He said the BOC was tipped off that a shipment of flour from China would arrive and it lacked some papers, including clearance from the BFAD, to make sure that the flour was fit for human consumption.
When the presidential party reached the BOC office, Mrs. Arroyo held a meeting with Morales and called the agency’s lawyers to prepare the charges.
Willie Sarmiento, head of the Internal Inquiry and Prosecution Division of the BOC, informed the President that he will immediately prepare the charges against the erring Customs officials.
She told Sarmiento that she would follow him to his office in the next building just to make sure that he would finish them in conjunction with the filing of complaints against the importers today at the Department of Justice where the Cabinet meeting would be held.
After making sure that the documents were prepared, she proceeded to the Run After The Smugglers (RATS) office at the second floor where she also checked on the preparation of the charges.
Mrs. Arroyo told the lawyers that they have only stated in their complaint that the importers failed to secure clearances.
“What about not paying taxes? It’s good that I’m here,” she said.
PNP recalled from PASG
Meanwhile, Philippine National Police chief Director General Avelino Razon Jr. said the assignment of policemen at the Presidential Anti-Smuggling Group (PASG) did not pass through the proper procedure, prompting the PNP leadership to recall them.
Razon added that the deployment of PNP members to PASG did not have any clearance from Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno, which is one of the requirements before a police officer can transfer units.
The PNP chief has ordered the pull-out of 40 members of the PNP-Special Action Force (SAF) from PASG, which was created by President Arroyo specifically to go after smuggling groups.
“The PNP is willing to help in the anti-smuggling operations of the government, but assigning policemen to another agency of the government will have to pass through the proper channels,” he added.
Aside from PASG, the PNP, through the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) is also conducting an anti-smuggling drive.
Reports had it that the government is losing billions of pesos to smuggling due to unpaid taxes.
Inter-agency cooperation
Because of this, plans are underway for the deployment of soldiers in anti-smuggling operations following a directive from Malacañang for an inter-agency cooperation to support PASG, sources said.
A source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said there is no formal agreement yet for putting military personnel under the operational control of the PASG, but this is now being discussed among concerned agencies.
“They are now working out what could be the duties and responsibilities that would be performed by soldiers if they would be assigned with PASG,” the source told The STAR.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines, however, has not yet made any official statement on the reported plan.
Other sources said the possible deployment of soldiers to the agency is due to the pull-out of elite police commandos from PASG.
PASG has representatives from law enforcement agencies such as the PNP, Coast Guard, National Food Authority, Philippine Maritime Authority, Philippine Ports Authority, Navy, BFAD, and the BOC.
It has not tapped soldiers in the conduct of its anti-smuggling operations.
President Arroyo created the PASG last year by virtue of Executive Order 623. It has the power and function to apprehend, seize, investigate, and prosecute acts involving smuggling, unlawful importation, and other similar violations particularly of the Tariff and Customs Code of the Philippines.
The PASG is also assisted by a special team of prosecutors from the Department of Justice (DOJ) to expedite criminal and other cases of violations of Customs and other related laws and regulations. – with Cecille Suerte Felipe, James Mananghaya
Reported by: Sol Jose Vanzi
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