THE Bureau of Customs (BOC) Port of Cebu confirmed that some of the smuggled rice stored at a container yard inside the Cebu International Port (CIP) were stolen.
The Cebu Port Authority (CPA) ordered an investigation on port security control and inspection lapses at the gates after 160 sacks of smuggled rice were spirited out of CIP last week.
CPA General Manager Dennis Villamor revealed this to Sun.Star Cebu after Bureau of Customs (BOC) Port of Cebu District Collector Edward Dela Cuesta said part of the smuggled rice that was scheduled for public bidding late this month was pilfered at the container yard inside CIP.
Dela Cuesta said that because the crime was committed inside CIP, the CPA authorities must shed light on how the rice was taken by the culprits.
Dela Cuesta earlier said the pilferage of the rice stored at the CIP was unlikely.
Memo
In his memorandum for Customs Commissioner Ruffy Biazon last July 16, Dela Cuesta said the pilferage of seized and forfeited rice at CIP was reported to him by ESC regional commander, Maj. Camelo P. Cascolan Jr.
“Relative to the reported pilferage of rice at the Container Yard, Cebu International Port, there is now very urgent and compelling reason for the undersigned to reiterate that the forfeited rice should now be disposed immediately through public auction,” Dela Cuesta told Biazon.
Dela Cuesta said that the public auction is without prejudice to the letter of the Secretary of the Agriculture Secretary to the Secretary of the Department of Finance for a negotiated sale on an agency-to-agency basis, provided that the offered price of 350 US dollars per metric ton be upgraded to 700 US dollars per metric ton and that the proceeds to be credited to the Port of Cebu.
Villamor who is known for his great achievements as CPA general manager in terms of revenue generations and infrastructure projects, said that the CPA compliance to the International Standard for Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code is not affected by the incident since the Code deals primarily with any form of acts of terrorism.
Villamor said he suspects connivance of certain CPA and Opascor personnel in the pilferage because the CIP’s screening process is supposed to be stringent.
“The Authority (CPA) does not hold a key to the locks/seals of these containers”, read Villamor’s text message to Sunstar Cebu.
Unaffected
For his part, CPA Deputy General Manager Yusoph “Ping” Uckung said that ISPS is not affected by the reported disappearance of rice stocks at CIP.
“Pilferage happens in all ports. Our port police is conducting an investigation.
Connivance (of CPA and Opascor personnel) is always a possibility, but we have to wait for the investigation report”, Uckung said in his text message to Sunstar Cebu.
The ISPS is being implemented by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) of the United Nations (UN).
