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Saturday, July 22, 2006
Customs claims credit for medicines seizure
OFFICIALS of the Bureau of Customs (BOC) Port of Mactan said they are the ones who apprehended the illegally imported medicines from Bangkok and not the police or the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) 7.
Angelito Gallito, officer-in-charge of the Port of Mactan Airport Passenger Services, said the medicines were detected by Special Agent Marlo Malabrigo of the Enforcement and Security Services (ESS) when these passed the scanning unit.
In his incident report to Gallito and Port Collector Ernesto Urbano, Verlito Ajos of the scanning group said they apprehended various medicines and cosmetics from two Cathay Pacific passengers from Hong Kong-Carolina del Castilla Montesclaros of 39 Fortune Homes Subdivision, Talisay City and Puridita Canoy Uy Quiengco of Bakilid, Mandaue City.
Intelligence
The report was submitted before the police and NBI agents arrived at the airport last Wednesday.
However, NBI Special Agent Jose Ermie Monsanto, in an earlier interview, said the operation stemmed from an intelligence report they received, which included surveillance photos.
Chief Insp. Rex Derilo, deputy chief of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group 7, earlier questioned the presence of the NBI.
The Bureau of Food and Drugs 7 has sent samples to its Manila office to check the drugs. Although it owns a building in Jagobiao, Mandaue City and has 10 personnel who can analyze fake drugs, the regional office lacks the laboratory equipment to conduct tests.
Monina Coyoca, the office supervisor, said their experts were trained in Manila but without the equipment, complaints against fake drugs or food poisoning will always be referred to Manila.
She said their central office has no budget for the equipment.
"Test results of this unregistered drugs could have come out in a matter of days not weeks if we have the facility," Coyoca said in an interview.
The medicines-assorted Zinnat, Lanoxin, Rowatinex, Provera and Isordil tablets; bottles of Mycostatin ointment; and Nisoral drops were not declared in the customs declaration form, as required of international passengers.
To be destroyed
Gallito said he was the one who recommended to Urbano the issuance of a warrant of seizure against the medicines, which they estimated to be worth about P100,000.
The NBI, though, placed the value of the medicines at P6 million.
Gallito said the drugs cannot be released to the consignee even with payment of duties and taxes because these were illegally imported medicines in violation to the intellectual property rights law, hence, will be destroyed after these are forfeited in favor of the government. (EOB/AIV)
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (July 22, 2006 issue)
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