MANILA, Philippines?A court order suspending the operations of the controversial Presidential Anti-Smuggling Group (PASG) would prevent the agency from checking the entry of imported goods in the run-up to the holiday season, officials admitted Friday.
?It is a huge setback because we have ongoing operations. We have profiles of certain individuals and consignees. With 20 days nearing Christmas, the volume of importation is high,?? Guillermo Francia, PASG director for intelligence, said at a Malacañang briefing.
Cabinet Secretary Silvestre Bello III, a former justice secretary, agreed with Francia that the 20-day temporary restraining order has effectively ?disoperationalized?? PASG.
?And that is probably what these smugglers are enjoying right now,?? he said in the same briefing.
Francia said PASG had instructed its legal team to draw up a legal action to oppose the TRO.
On Thursday, the Manila Regional Trial Court last Thursday issued a TRO stopping the government from implementing Executive Order No. 624 which created the PASG.
British trader Siu Ting Alpha Kwok had petitioned the court to issue the TRO, arguing that EO 624 had become a source of abuses and lawlessness, and that PASG?s creation violated the constitutional doctrine of separation of powers.
PASG agents raided Kwok?s unit at the Pacific Place in Ortigas Center, Pasig City, on Aug. 10, seized some P500 million worth of diamonds and other jewelry, and arrested her.
Kwok?s lawyer claimed that she was arrested without any warrant, and that her arrest was based on mere suspicion that she was smuggling jewelry into the country in violation of the Tariff and Customs Code.
Meanwhile, Jeffrey Patawaran, PASG director for administration and finance, said there was nothing irregular in its Nov. 4 raid on the Tantoco compound in Pasig City.
The raid stirred a controversy after the Korean Chamber of Commerce reported to Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita that PASG agents tried to extort money from one of the locators, the Korean-owned PKSS Enterprises.
But PKSS Enterprises belied the chamber?s report and apologized to the PASG.
?As I told you, this PASG did not hold our operations, nor asked for some money. However, our delivery personnel were put on lay-off for several days due to no deliveries as our deliveries were held for a few days,?? PKSS owner said in a Nov. 19 letter to the chamber president Edward Chang. PASG furnished the media a copy of the letter.
Ermita had ruled out any investigation after the PKSS disputed the alleged attempt of extortion by PASG.
The PASG also found an unlikely defender?opposition Sen. Francis ??Chiz? Escudero, who said the PASG should be spared from intrigues if the government wants to address corruption and boost sagging revenue collections.
In a press statement, Escudero said the incident involving alleged extortion against Korean businesses has already been debunked by the personalities who were supposed victims of the alleged extortion.
