BOC files charges vs rice smugglers

The Presidential Communications Office (PCO) on Sunday, Oct. 1, revealed that the Bureau of Customs (BOC) has filed smuggling charges before the Department of Justice (DOJ) against rice smugglers in Bulacan, while cases are being built up for filing in Zamboanga City.

Customs Commissioner Bien Rubio (2nd from left) inspects one of the Balagtas, Bulacan warehouses filled with suspected illegally imported rice from Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand. Joining him is (right) Intelligence Officer 3 Alvin Enciso, chief of the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service (CIIS) at the Manila International Container Port (MICP). (BOC photo)

In a statement, the PCO said that the agency has been filing and readying case files against rice smugglers and hoarders while it also issued Warrants of Seizure and Detention (WSD) against other warehouses found with thousands of sacks of rice.

Citing lawyer William Balayo, the acting director of BOC’s Legal Service, the PCO shared that the bureau filed three charges of economic sabotage against three importers over the weekend, while one was for the violation of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA) under Agricultural Product Smuggling.

The charges stemmed from the inspection the BOC conducted on Aug. 24 in Bulacan where the bureau discovered 200,000 sacks of rice in four different warehouses that led to the issuance of WSDs. As of Sept. 29, the BOC had seized 236,571 sacks of rice from the Bulacan warehouses.

These moves were in line with the directive of President Marcos to the BOC to combat hoarding and illegal importation of rice.

Aside from the warehouses in Bulacan, the PCO also cited the BOC’s discovery of warehouses in Cavite, Las Piñas, and Manila.

“It is now awaiting the submission of necessary documents from the two warehouse owners in Cavite and Las Piñas City,” the PCO said, adding that “inventory is ongoing for the other two warehouses” in Manila.

The BOC also seized over 42,000 sacks of smuggled rice in Zamboanga City that were eventually donated to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) after the importers failed to present documents to defend the legality of their importation.

The donated rice were distributed to beneficiaries of DSWD’s Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) led by the President in Tungawan, Zamboanga Sibugay; San Roque, Zamboanga City; General Trias City, Cavite; Iriga City, Camarines Sur; San Andres, Manila; Dapa, Surigao del Norte; and Dinagat Islands.

According to Marcos, he has directed the BOC to continue to go against smugglers and hoarders who are behind the price manipulation schemes that are driving up the price of rice.

“Ang bukbok na lubos na sumisira sa balanse ng suplay at presyo ng bigas sa merkado [ay] ang hoarding at saka ang smuggling, at price manipulation na ginagawa ng mapagsamantalang mga negosyante (The rice weevil that destroys the balance supply and price of rice in the market is the hoarding and smuggling, and price manipulation that exploitative businessmen do),” he said.

He also emphasized that the government will relentlessly run after them to ensure affordable staple food for the Filipino people.