Monday, September 08, 2008 Come out, PASG dares owners of 21 seized vehicles
THE Presidential Anti-Smuggling Group (PASG) in Cebu has urged the owners of 21 vehicles it seized from ships that arrived from Cagayan de Oro City last Monday to come out in the open.
PASG-Cebu Director Ariel Palcuto said that if they have nothing to hide, the owners should claim the vehicles now. Otherwise, the units will be declared as abandoned.
Palcuto is seeking the issuance of a warrant of seizure and detention from Bureau of Customs (BOC) Port of Cebu District Collector Ricardo Belmonte so forfeiture proceedings can be started.
Authority
Under the Tariff and Customs Code, the district collector has the authority to issue a WSD and order the BOC legal division to conduct the seizure and forfeiture proceedings.
Unconfirmed reports on smuggled imported vehicles point to Korean nationals and their Filipino counterparts in Cebu as the perpetrators.
The 21 vehicles were allegedly smuggled through Cagayan de Oro City because of strict monitoring of Cebu’s ports since the House of Representatives’ committee on good government conducted an investigation on rampant vehicle smuggling in Cebu after the complaint made by the Cebu Auto Dealers Association (CADA).
The vehicles arrived aboard mv Hongkong and mv Asia China of the Trans-Asia Shipping Lines.
Authenticity
PASG-Cebu Deputy Director Jojo Collantes said they are still verifying with the Land Transportation Office (LTO) the authenticity of the Certificate of Registration and Official Receipt photocopies that were made as basis in transporting the vehicles.
If the documents are bogus, the shippers are criminally liable for violating Republic Act No. 3146 (Land Transportation Code) and the Revised Penal Code for falsification.
Collantes said the shippers have sent representatives to their office, but they failed to present the required documents proving ownership of the seized vehicles.
And as ordered by Assistant Secretary Alberto Suansing, LTO 7 Director Raul Aguilos said they longer register used vehicles because it violates Executive Order No. 156, which prohibits the importation of used vehicles.
Aguilos, though, said that unlike the Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs) that the PASG-Cebu seized, trucks and buses are exempted from coverage of EO 156. (EOB)
