Saturday, May 10, 2008 4 Customs officials face raps over flour smuggling
CRIMINAL charges are being readied against four Bureau of Customs (BOC) officers who were recommended dismissed from service for their involvement in flour smuggling.
This after President Gloria Macapagal- Arroyo ordered the customs and finance department to pursue criminal cases against lawyers Eden Dandal, Gregorio Magat, Melchor Rabo, and Jennifer Namuag before the Department of Justice (DOJ).
During her fourth visit to the bureau since April, the President directed Commissioner Napoleon Morales to file criminal liabilities against the Customs employees, who were earlier faced with one year suspension without pay.
However, Arroyo ordered a review on the penalties imposed on the Customs officers last week and said the decision of the legal team is not appropriate for their offense.
The employees were involved in the anomalous transactions of Rubills International, a firm charged by the bureau three times for the smuggling of agricultural products such as wheat, sugar and ginger.
Based on the resolution penned by Rhea Gregorio, acting chief of the bureau's appellate decision, the employees were found guilty of gross neglect of duties, and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service. The legal team revised its earlier recommendation to dismissal, which is the highest sanction to be imposed on any violation to the duty of Customs employees and officials.
Arroyo, on the other hand, congratulated Finance Secretary Margarito Teves and Morales for the agency's positive performance for the month of April.
Meanwhile, the BOC filed new charges against 11 persons for alleged smuggling of regulated commodities such as ginger, and used right hand motor vehicles, with a combined estimated worth of P3.2 million.
Among those charged were officers and directors of Pacific Eagle Enterprises Inc. for the unlawful importation of ginger at the Manila International Container Port from China.
The shipment violated provisions in the Tariff and Customs Code of the Philippines provision that requires import permits/ clearance from the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) for regulated importations and Article 172 of the Revised Penal Code.
Also charged were the owner and officers of PPK Trading for the unlawful importation of 10 units of right hand drive vehicles, which arrived at the Port of Cebu from Japan.
The importation of right hand drives has been banned under Executive Order (EO) 156.
"The importation of banned articles will immediately classify the articles as contraband subject for seizure and forfeiture proceedings at the bureau,"
Morales said.
The third case involved the submission of falsified documents for the application for the importer's accreditation of A. Alcalde Enterprises in violation of Section 3612 of the Tariff and Customs Code of the Philippines. (FP/Sunnex)
