The Bureau of Customs (BOC) revealed Saturday, May 29 that the package meant for actress Bela Padilla, which came all the way from Spain, has been released.
The package, which contained shoes that were gifted to Padilla by a Spanish company, was finally delivered via courier DHL Express on Friday, May 28. This, after the actress settled the P7,634 customs duties and taxes for the package, the BOC said.
"The Bureau has already reached out to Ms. Padilla and assisted in her concerns. We explained our process and the legal basis for the request for proof of payment," Assistant Commissioner Vincent Philip Maronilla said.
"We thank Ms. Padilla for allowing the BOC to explain our side and help her resolve her issue," Maronilla added.
Padilla took to social media to air her frustration over her unreleased parcel on May 26. She called out the bureau to explain the reason for the non-release and her being charged with P10,500 despite the shoes being a gift.
The agency's assessment team said the item's declared value was €20.00. It explained that it is the BOC's function to assess and collect customs revenues from imported goods under Section 202 of Republic Act (RA)10863, also known as the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA).
“The declared value of the items...were found to be grossly undervalued, compared to available value based on identical/similar goods,” the BOC said.
It explained that the composite team requested DHL Express to submit proof of purchase or payment receipt showing the transaction value for correct valuation purposes. BOC also clarified that it had no direct communication with the claimants.
On May 26, Padilla was informed about the exact duties and taxes that she needed to settle for the release of her parcel. (With reports from Ariel Fernandez)