Wednesday, April 23, 2008 Barangays tapped to fight smuggling in Mandaue City
FOLLOWING the raids on contrabands in Mandaue City warehouses, Mayor Jonas Cortes tapped barangay officials and formed task forces to monitor and verify records of all business establishments in their area.
Cortes believes that a lot of illegitimate businessmen choose to lease warehouses in Mandaue because of its proximity to the airport and seaports.
The mayor is happy with the conduct of the raids, even if it took law enforcement agencies from outside Mandaue City to bust the smugglers’ operations. He admitted the shortcomings of local law enforcers.
National law enforcement agencies with their own specific functions are more capable and qualified to conduct such operations, he said.
Intelligence
Cortes said he already instructed barangay captains to strengthen their intelligence network in their own community to make it easier for them to detect illegal activities.
The Mandaue City Police Office (MCPO) was asked to train the barangay tanods on this.
Cortes also told Sun. Star Cebu that the City will soon come up with a communication command center that will link all the units handling emergency response.
The command center will give a particular barangay access to the local and precinct policemen, the Bureau of Fire Protection and other emergency rescue units.
The mayor also formed a task force monitoring team composed of officers from the City Treasurer’s Office, City Engineer’s Office, Bureau of Fire Protection, City Health Office and other City Hall departments tasked to inspect and approve permits.
The task force will inspect business establishments if they comply with regulations like fire and building safety and health and sanitation guidelines.
Cortes explained that after the City issues a temporary permit, the task force will personally visit their place to see if all requirements are complied with, including barangay clearance.
Regulations
The team will also inspect business establishments to see if they are complying with the imposed regulations and if their operations and businesses are legitimate.
Last weekend, the Presidential Anti-Smuggling Group (PASG) raided a car dealer shop owned by a Korean national along Sacris St. in Mandaue City for allegedly importing used cars illegally.
Three of the four consignees of 19 smuggled vehicles seized by the Bureau of Customs (BOC) last January have business addresses in Mandaue City.
The consignees, which are all registered importers with the BOC, are Asean Mandaue Trading with business address in Mandaue City; PPK Trading in Cabahug St. in Barangay Opao and New Era Enterprises located in Barangay Maguikay.
Investigation
On Sept. 5, 2007, the PASG seized P10 million worth of rice and more than six untaxed vehicles that were believed to be smuggled from a warehouse in Barangay Tingub, Mandaue City.
During the March 2002 House investigation on the alleged involvement of BOC personnel in the escape of MV Great Faith, which carried 20,000 sacks of rice, it was found out that the vessel unloaded rice at the Ouano Wharf in Mandaue City.
In May 1999, then Customs District Collector Juan Tan also ordered the seizure of five Starex vans that were believed to be smuggled inside Cebuano Motors Corp. in Mandaue City. (OCP)
