Thursday, October 02, 2008 2 women offer P12T to PASG-Cebu agent in exchange for release of shipment
TWO persons were arrested for offering agents of the Presidential Anti-Smuggling Group (PASG-Cebu) P12,000 in exchange for the release of an illegal shipment of coconut lumber.
Evangeline Vibar and Laurito dela Cerna are now under the custody of PASG-Cebu, while charges for bribing a public officer are being prepared against them.
PASG-Cebu Director Ariel Palcuto said in a press conference that they intercepted about 11 a.m. yesterday a 20-footer container van containing about 7,000 to 8,000 board feet of coconut lumber with an estimated value of P120,000.
Talisay-bound
The lumber shipment was intercepted after the container van was unloaded from a vessel of Carlos A. Gothong Shipping Lines from Ozamiz City and was about to be delivered to Rago Lumber in Talisay City.
Palcuto explained that the mandate of PASG under Executive Order 264 is to conduct anti-smuggling drives in violation of the Tariff and Customs Code and other related laws.
He said the illegal transport of coconut lumber falls under other related laws because this was smuggled from Ozamiz City to Cebu City, in violation of the rules and regulations of the Philippine Coconut Authority.
Palcuto said that after the container van was intercepted, somebody requested amicable settlement and offered P20,000 for the release of the shipment.
He said that his men agreed with the offer and then called the media to witness the payoff.
It was Vibar, accompanied by dela Cerna, who handed the money amounting to P12,000 (not P20,000 as agreed) to PASG agent Noel Villamor.
Vibar said her husband is in the coconut lumber business while she is working in a salon. She only volunteered to bring the money to PASG because her husband was not around that time and they wanted to facilitate the release of the cargo.
“I would like to warn all persons who have illegal activities. Don’t attempt to bribe us because we will arrest you,” Palcuto said, adding that he hopes that the incident would serve as a lesson to those who transport goods illegally. (EOB)
