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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider DOJ starts probe on 'paihi' scheme of oil smuggling, pilferage

DOJ starts probe on 'paihi' scheme of oil smuggling, pilferage

Published Aug 14, 2024 04:57 am

The Department of Justice (DOJ) said on Wednesday, Aug. 14, that it is looking into how to end the “paihi” scheme on smuggling and pilferage of oil in the country.

“Kailangan pag-aralan natin iyan kasi ang bansa natin ay talagang nahihirapan sa ginagawa nilang paihi dito sa Pilipinas, itong oil pilferage syndiate at tsaka itong smuggling syndicates (We need to study this because our country is having a hard time because of the ‘paihi,’ the oil pilferage and smuggling syndicates),” said Jesus Crispin C. Remulla during the “Kapihan” at the DOJ.

Remulla said there are two kinds of "paihi" schemes -- one involves the transfer of oil between ships that slip through the Bureau of Customs (BOC) and the other one involves bulk suppliers of oil.

In these schemes, he said that “humihigop talaga sila ng porsyento ng langis tapos pinapasa sa tao sa taas ng presyo ng langis ‘yung systems loss nila (they really siphon off a certain percentage of the oil and pass it to the public to recover their systems loss.)"

After talking to Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) Commissioner Romeo Lumagui Jr., Remulla lamented: “Sa aking tingin pwede umabot ito ng daang bilyong piso na nawawala sa atin dahil sa mga sindikatong nananaig sa paiihi ng fuel (I think we already lost around hundreds of billions of pesos in revenues to these syndicates involved in the ‘paihi’ of fuel).”

The DOJ-led Bataan Oil Spill Inter-Agency Investigation has been looking into the possibility that three vessels–MT Terranova, MTKR Jason Bradley, MV Mirola 1—that caused the oil spill last month in Bataan may be involved in “paihi.”

“This opened another Pandora’s Box sa nangyayari sa Pilipinas that has been silently tolerating throughout this time. Eto ‘yung paihi (This opened another Pandora’s Box on what has been happening in the Philippines which has been silently tolerated throughout this time. This is the 'paiihi'),” Remulla said. 

He cited the case of a Batangas group which is doing the "paihi" system of oil pilferage.

He said he has asked the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) "na tulungan tayo na masugpo ang problemang ito at ‘yung 'paihi' once and for all... (to help solve this problem and the 'paihi' system be addressed.)"

“Delikado kasi itong Batangas syndicate. Marami na ho namatay dito. May pinapapatay sila ‘pag sila ay nilalabanan (The Batangas syndicate is dangerous. Many have died. They kill those who oppose them),” he warned.

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