Bureau of Customs (BOC) Commissioner Ruffy Biazon today, led the filing of appropriate charges against 31 officers of four (4) Central Luzon based Multi-Purpose cooperatives at the Department of Justice (DOJ) for their involvement, as consignees, in the attempt to smuggle into the country 78,000 bags of rice from Vietnam worth PhP 93,600,000.00 through the Port of Legazpi City in the Bicol Region.
According to Biazon, the illegal rice shipment from Vietnam which all arrived at the Bicol port in the same boat on September 2, 2012, did not have the required import permits in violation of Sections 101 and 3601 of the Tariffs and Customs Code of the Philippines (TCCP). Moreover, the number of bags of rice that were illegally bought into the country by the four (4) cooperatives were all beyond their imported rice quota allocation balances.
“We will never allow any multi-purpose cooperative to exploit their rice importation allocation privileges for illegal activities. We will carefully review the entries of all rice importations to ensure that these are covered with the required permits and importation quota allocations are not violated.” Biazon said. “While we support the cause of cooperatives, we will, however, strictly enforce the country’s customs rules and laws”. He added.
Charged were Pampanga based Kapatirang Takusa Multi-Purpose Cooperative Directors Orlando Manimbot, Juanito Mangilit, Joseph Guevarra, Alfredo Manimbo, Tommy Navarro, Jaime Bitangcol and Efren Bulaon. The Kapatiran was the consignee for 21,000 bags of rice worth PhP 25,200,000.00. Aside from not having the required import permit, the Kapatiran only had a rice quota allocation balance of 19,000 bags of rice at the time of importation.
The officers of Pampanga based Ugnayan Magbubukid ng San Isidro Cooperative Emily Alabado, Christopher Hernandez, Editha Alabado, Teresita Manlastas, Arly Guevarra, Luciano Alabado and Santiago B. Francisco for their part, were charged for being the consignee, as officers of the cooperative, of another 21,000 bags of the hot rice from Vietnam worth PhP25,200,000.00 when their imported rice allocation quota’s balance at that time was only good for 6,800 bags of rice.
On the other hand, the officers of Bulacan based Malampampang Concerned Citizens Multi-Purpose Cooperative Cipriano Evangelista, Ernesto Gonzales, Guillermo Marcelo, Edgardo Evangelista, Henry Ochoco, Milagros Pelayo, Nelson Evangelista, Arden Evangelista and Jessie De la Cruz were also charged for being the officers of the consignee cooperative for 18,000 bags of the illegally imported rice from Vietnam worth PhP21,600,000.00, even if the coop only had a rice importation quota allocation balance of only 6,900 bags.
And Samahang Magsasaka Kapampangan at Katagalogan Multi-Purpose Cooperative officers Maximo Hernancez, John Ray Retobado, Ponciano B. Hernandez, Dominador P. Lalu, Felipe A. Mangilit, Michael Manliclic and Danilo Santos were all charged as well for their cooperative’s being consignee to 18,000 bags of smuggled rice from Vietnman worth PhP21,600,000.00. The cooperative’s rice importation quota allocation balance at the time of importation was only for 14,000 bags of rice.
According to Biazon, the illegal rice shipment from Vietnam which all arrived at the Bicol port in the same boat on September 2, 2012, did not have the required import permits in violation of Sections 101 and 3601 of the Tariffs and Customs Code of the Philippines (TCCP). Moreover, the number of bags of rice that were illegally bought into the country by the four (4) cooperatives were all beyond their imported rice quota allocation balances.
“We will never allow any multi-purpose cooperative to exploit their rice importation allocation privileges for illegal activities. We will carefully review the entries of all rice importations to ensure that these are covered with the required permits and importation quota allocations are not violated.” Biazon said. “While we support the cause of cooperatives, we will, however, strictly enforce the country’s customs rules and laws”. He added.
Charged were Pampanga based Kapatirang Takusa Multi-Purpose Cooperative Directors Orlando Manimbot, Juanito Mangilit, Joseph Guevarra, Alfredo Manimbo, Tommy Navarro, Jaime Bitangcol and Efren Bulaon. The Kapatiran was the consignee for 21,000 bags of rice worth PhP 25,200,000.00. Aside from not having the required import permit, the Kapatiran only had a rice quota allocation balance of 19,000 bags of rice at the time of importation.
The officers of Pampanga based Ugnayan Magbubukid ng San Isidro Cooperative Emily Alabado, Christopher Hernandez, Editha Alabado, Teresita Manlastas, Arly Guevarra, Luciano Alabado and Santiago B. Francisco for their part, were charged for being the consignee, as officers of the cooperative, of another 21,000 bags of the hot rice from Vietnam worth PhP25,200,000.00 when their imported rice allocation quota’s balance at that time was only good for 6,800 bags of rice.
On the other hand, the officers of Bulacan based Malampampang Concerned Citizens Multi-Purpose Cooperative Cipriano Evangelista, Ernesto Gonzales, Guillermo Marcelo, Edgardo Evangelista, Henry Ochoco, Milagros Pelayo, Nelson Evangelista, Arden Evangelista and Jessie De la Cruz were also charged for being the officers of the consignee cooperative for 18,000 bags of the illegally imported rice from Vietnam worth PhP21,600,000.00, even if the coop only had a rice importation quota allocation balance of only 6,900 bags.
And Samahang Magsasaka Kapampangan at Katagalogan Multi-Purpose Cooperative officers Maximo Hernancez, John Ray Retobado, Ponciano B. Hernandez, Dominador P. Lalu, Felipe A. Mangilit, Michael Manliclic and Danilo Santos were all charged as well for their cooperative’s being consignee to 18,000 bags of smuggled rice from Vietnman worth PhP21,600,000.00. The cooperative’s rice importation quota allocation balance at the time of importation was only for 14,000 bags of rice.
For his part Customs Deputy Commissioner for RCMG and Run-After-The Smugglers (RATS) Head Peter Manzano said, today’s filing brings to 122 the number of cases filed by the BOC against smugglers since Biazon’s appointment as Customs Chief. “In line with the Commissioner’s intensified anti-smuggling campaign, we will never waiver in our thrust to sue all those involved in smuggling.” Manzano said.
- BOC,10 January 2013
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