Saturday, October 13, 2007 House members support call for Cebu investigation, prod Finance Secretary Teves
CONGRESSMEN from Cebu support the call for an investigation on the allegedly rampant smuggling of vehicles here.
Deputy Speaker Raul del Mar (Cebu City, north district) yesterday said that Rep. Antonio Cuenco (Cebu City, south district) made representations with Finance Secretary Margarito Teves on this matter, as the customs bureau is under the Department of Finance.
Teves, according to del Mar, assured he will schedule a meeting with the Bureau of Customs (BOC) and all sectors concerned to thresh out the issue.
Earlier, the Presidential Anti-smuggling Group (PASG) reported the rampant smuggling of vehicles in the country.
The county could be losing billions of pesos because vehicles are released in various ports despite nonpayment of correct duties and taxes, PASG Chief Antonio Villar had said.
Villar was reported as saying that vehicle smuggling, now considered a multimillion-peso industry, is happening in various ports but identified Subic and Cebu as the most prominent.
The BOC has an agreement with the Land Transportation Office (LTO) to curb, if not stop, the registration of smuggled cars.
Rep. Pablo Garcia (Cebu, second district) said there was already an approved resolution in the Lower House calling for an investigation on car smuggling in Cebu.
“Cuenco made a speech questioning certain transactions in the LTO in Cebu and in fact, the budget of the transportation department was approved minus that of the LTO. That will be investigated,” said Congressman Garcia.
Rep. Nerissa Soon-Ruiz (Cebu, sixth district) said she supports the investigation, which she believes will be discussed when Congress resumes its sessions in November.
“I support it and I would even move to bring the public hearings here,” said Soon-Ruiz.
Rep. Benhur Salimbangon (Cebu, fourth district), meanwhile, said he also supports the probe, which may be discussed “at a later time” because congressmen are “very busy” with the budget. (JPM)
