The Bureau of Customs (BOC) should file charges against four companies that are known to be “repeat offenders” of agricultural smuggling in the country.
Senator Risa Hontiveros made the call as she pressed Customs officials to submit an investigative report on why repeat violators of smuggling remain brazen in their attempt to move contraband agricultural produce in the country despite being arrested repeatedly during the Senate Committee of the Whole’s hearing on agricultural smuggling on Tuesday.
Hontiveros identified at least four firms—Zhenpin Consumer Goods Trading, Thousand Sunny Enterprise, Dua Te Mira, at Gingarnion Agri Trading—that stood out for their repeated transgressions.
“These companies were involved in at least P400-million worth of smuggled vegetables. Ibig sabihin, halos kalahati ng P800-million reported apprehensions ng BOC, ay involved itong apat na ito (This means that almost half of the P800-million reported apprehensions of the BOC, four are regularly involved here),” Hontiveros said.
Referring to a matrix which came from the BOC on government operations on smuggled agricultural products, Hontiveros said all four were subject of the biggest forfeiture of agricultural products at the port of Subic, and are primarily involved in illegal shipments of onions, carrots and broccoli.
“Bakit nakakaulit sila? From June, umulit ng July, at umulit ulit noong October. Bakit namimihasa sila? May special consideration ba sa mga ito? Nais nating malaman kugn bakit patuloy na nakakapagnegosyo ang apat na yan (Why can they do it repeatedly? From June, they did it again in July, then again on October. Why has it become a habit? Are these firms getting special consideration? We want to know why they can continue to do business here),” she pointed out.
BOC, she said, should delist any repeat offenders from the Joint Administrative Order (JAO) 20-01, which enabled the expedited release of refrigerated containers and dry vans during the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ).
And should they be found guilty of smuggling and responsible for economic sabotage, their licenses and permit should be revoked according to the law.
“Smuggling threatens our economic recovery. Dapat may makulong sa mga ganitong kaso na ang nabibiktima ay higit sa lahat mga magsasaka, at ang buong agricultural sector (Somebody should be charged in these cases where the victims are mostly farmers and the whole agricutlural sector),” she said.
“Damay rin maging mga local government units (LGUs) na madedehado sa dapat ay mataas na IRA galing sa BOC collections na mailalaan sana para sa mga kababayan natin (it also harms the LGUs who are also at a disadvantage since they should be entitled to a higher Internal Revenue Allotment coming from the BOC collections which they can use for their constituents). This is not a victimless crime. Hindi dapat ito pinapalampas (They should not let this pass),” Hontiveros concluded.
But during the hearing, BOC Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero assured that the agency has already filed cases against the four consignees mentioned by the senator.
“...Lahat po yan na-revoke na ang kanilang accreditation (All of them, we have revoked their accreditation),” Guerrero told the Senate panel.
“And based on your recommendation, we will work with the other agencies in relations to the JAO, to have them delisted,” the BOC chief stated.
Pressed by Sen. Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan what kind of charges were filed, Guerrero said they BOC filed cases of agricultural smuggling and economic sabotage against the four consignees before the Department of Justices (DOJ).