PRESIDENTIAL Anti-Smuggling Group (PASG) operatives raided and shut down Monday an oil depot in Bataan Province that the Bureau of Customs (BOC) ordered closed earlier this year.
PASG chief Antonio Villar Jr. personally led the operation at 11 a.m. against Unioil Petroleum Philippines Incorporated, which was suspected to be a dummy of the controversial Oilink Incorporated.
Unioil is one of the independent players in the oil industry that recently imposed a price rollback.
Oilink Inc., meanwhile, was one of the few oil firms charged by PASG for allegedly defrauding the government of hundreds of millions worth of taxes through "technical smuggling."
A PASG press statement said both Unioil and Oilink are owned by Paul Chi Thing Co.
"They come out at night. When we got there, we saw many oil tankers parked there. The operators tried to padlock the premises but we forced our way in," Villar said.
He said it was ordered closed because it owes government some P3.764 billion. But he noted the depot continued to operate despite the closure order.
But Unioil president Kenneth Pundadera belied Villar's claim and said the company has not violated any law.
"How can there be illegal withdrawal when the shipments of Unioil have been cleared and ordered release by no less than the Customs commissioner? Besides, what is the authority of Limay District Collector Edward Baltazar to question us when it has been published last September that he was suspended by the Office of the Ombudsman as district collector for three months," Pundadera said.
He said the company has also paid its taxes for every shipment they made.
"All the taxes and duties for the shipment of Unioil have been paid and this was the basis for the release order of Commissioner Morales. Also, how can there be an illegal withdrawal when we are constantly under guard by Customs personnel," Pundadera added.
Oilink lawyer Raymond Zorilla said that the PASG personnel may have mistaken Oilink and Unioil as one entity.
"Oilink owns the terminal in Bataan while Unioil and some other oil companies lease several offshore tanks within the terminal pursuant to a valid agreement. We have already shown the documents to prove these claims to the BOC," Zorilla said.
He said the BOC has concurred with the agreement when it released the oil shipment after conducting proper verification as to its separate entity.
In a related development, Zorilla said they would also file charges against the reading team for hitting Oilink operations supervisor Mark de Leon in the course of the operation.
De Leon was reportedly hit in the chest by one of the PASG operatives.
"The PASG personnel refused to identify themselves and did not even present a search warrant or a mission order. When I asked for their names and purpose, they said that they don't need one because they are members of a presidential task force. When I insisted on seeing their mission order and search warrant, one PASG personnel even hit me on my chest," Zorilla said quoting de Leon.
"The corporation is reserving the right to file the appropriate criminal and civil actions if the circumstances so warrant, particularly the physical injury sustained by de Leon," he added.
As of Monday afternoon, PASG personnel were still in the area. (AH/Sunnex)
