Davao firm complains to BOC about smuggling in Port of Davao
Published Sep 9, 2018 12:35 pm
By Raymund Antonio
A Davao-based firm has sent a letter to the Bureau of Customs (BOC) to complain about the unabated incidence of smuggling of Korean scrap trucks allegedly in the Port of Davao.
Bureau of Customs (Manila Bulletin File Photo)
In a letter dated September 6, P.K. Industries and Trading Services Inc. raised concerns to Customs Commissioner Isidro Lapeña over the illegal entry of junk completely built up trucks and special purpose vehicles in Sasa Wharf.
Its two-page letter, signed by the company’s legal counsel Bienvenido D. Cariaga, broke the lid on the scrap vehicles that were released by the BOC, which it claimed can be considered technical smuggling.
The lawyer said the importers shipped the secondhand trucks without a certificate of roadworthiness and compliance with the emission standards as required by law.
“The imported vehicles have been released by the BOC, Davao City without a release certificate from the Department of Trade and Industries,” Cariaga said.
Under Executive Order No. 156, importers are required to secure the RC from DTI’s Fair Trade Enforcement Bureau upon arrival of the imported used motor vehicles at the BOC ports.
The certificate is used as basis for the release of the goods from the BOC and subsequently, for registration of the vehicle at the Land Transportation Office.
P.K Industries is a truck dealer that operates in Lanang, Davao City.
The company asked Lapeña to act swiftly on the matter, with the proliferation of the smuggled scrap trucks affecting its business of legally importing vehicles from South Korea.
The government generally does not allow the importation of secondhand vehicles, especially those that are considered as scrap.
According to P.K industries, it sent several letters to Lapeña and Davao Port district collector Romalino Valdez, but the BOC has taken no action on its complaint given the arrival of several old trucks in the country since last year.
The DTI has also sent an “urgent” letter, dated Sept. 6, to the BOC chief over the issue.
DTI Undersecretary Ceferino Rodolfo said a “number of shipments of used trucks have arrived during the last few days in the Port of Davao.”
“It has been brought to our attention that a number of shipments of used trucks have arrived during the last few days in the Port of Davao,” he said.
Rodolfo wrote that the “date of Certificate of Authority to Import (CAI) of used car must be prior to the date of arrival of the vehicles,” and the “submission of the release certificates (R/Cs) on the vehicles shall be prior to the release of shipments.”
Attached in the letter were the copies of the inward foreign manifest that showed the junked trucks were as old as 1995 model.
Those that are already 15 years old are not allowed to be registered. Many of the trucks that are already discharged are more than 15 years old.
As shown by the manifest, these subject scrap trucks arrived in Port of Davao, and were released on “as-is condition” to the following consignees: PhilCar Sales and Rental Service General Corp., C Global Motor Sales Enterprises Corp., 429 Enterprises; Reygon Li Enterprises; Davao AMG Trading Center Corp., Yesgo Importation Enterprise., Philko Trading Corp., Captain Young Heavy Equipment Corp., Goodmorning Lang Co., BCT Company Korea Ltd. and AGCAT Trading.
Bureau of Customs (Manila Bulletin File Photo)
In a letter dated September 6, P.K. Industries and Trading Services Inc. raised concerns to Customs Commissioner Isidro Lapeña over the illegal entry of junk completely built up trucks and special purpose vehicles in Sasa Wharf.
Its two-page letter, signed by the company’s legal counsel Bienvenido D. Cariaga, broke the lid on the scrap vehicles that were released by the BOC, which it claimed can be considered technical smuggling.
The lawyer said the importers shipped the secondhand trucks without a certificate of roadworthiness and compliance with the emission standards as required by law.
“The imported vehicles have been released by the BOC, Davao City without a release certificate from the Department of Trade and Industries,” Cariaga said.
Under Executive Order No. 156, importers are required to secure the RC from DTI’s Fair Trade Enforcement Bureau upon arrival of the imported used motor vehicles at the BOC ports.
The certificate is used as basis for the release of the goods from the BOC and subsequently, for registration of the vehicle at the Land Transportation Office.
P.K Industries is a truck dealer that operates in Lanang, Davao City.
The company asked Lapeña to act swiftly on the matter, with the proliferation of the smuggled scrap trucks affecting its business of legally importing vehicles from South Korea.
The government generally does not allow the importation of secondhand vehicles, especially those that are considered as scrap.
According to P.K industries, it sent several letters to Lapeña and Davao Port district collector Romalino Valdez, but the BOC has taken no action on its complaint given the arrival of several old trucks in the country since last year.
The DTI has also sent an “urgent” letter, dated Sept. 6, to the BOC chief over the issue.
DTI Undersecretary Ceferino Rodolfo said a “number of shipments of used trucks have arrived during the last few days in the Port of Davao.”
“It has been brought to our attention that a number of shipments of used trucks have arrived during the last few days in the Port of Davao,” he said.
Rodolfo wrote that the “date of Certificate of Authority to Import (CAI) of used car must be prior to the date of arrival of the vehicles,” and the “submission of the release certificates (R/Cs) on the vehicles shall be prior to the release of shipments.”
Attached in the letter were the copies of the inward foreign manifest that showed the junked trucks were as old as 1995 model.
Those that are already 15 years old are not allowed to be registered. Many of the trucks that are already discharged are more than 15 years old.
As shown by the manifest, these subject scrap trucks arrived in Port of Davao, and were released on “as-is condition” to the following consignees: PhilCar Sales and Rental Service General Corp., C Global Motor Sales Enterprises Corp., 429 Enterprises; Reygon Li Enterprises; Davao AMG Trading Center Corp., Yesgo Importation Enterprise., Philko Trading Corp., Captain Young Heavy Equipment Corp., Goodmorning Lang Co., BCT Company Korea Ltd. and AGCAT Trading.