CEZA chief denies reports of smuggling in Port Irene
Central Luzon Desk
First Posted 05:48:00 07/24/2008
BAYOMBONG, NUEVA VIZCAYA—The head of the Cagayan Economic Zone Authority (CEZA) Wednesday denied reports that Port Irene, which is located inside the zone in Sta. Ana town, Cagayan, is being used in the smuggling of luxury vehicles into the country.
“How can there be smuggling activities when there is no basic equipment to support such activities? These are old issues. They are just repeating these accusations,” Jose Mari Ponce, CEZA chief executive officer and administrator, said in a telephone interview.
“I think this is an offshoot of the incident when they were castigated by the Senate,” Ponce said, referring to the incident in which Enrile castigated the American Chamber of Commerce (Amcham) and other foreign chambers of commerce during a Senate hearing.
On June 6, Enrile castigated officials of the foreign chambers of commerce for allegedly interfering in the efforts to bring down local power rates.
But the Amcham visited Port Irene last May 12-14.
Amcham earlier issued a report on the supposed smuggling activities inside CEZA.
‘Sheer envy’
Ponce said the trade in used vehicles in CEZA was in order. “We’re very open, transparent,” he said.
“Every time a shipment arrives it is accompanied by people from the [Bureau of] Customs, PASG (Presidential Anti-Smuggling Group), LTO (Land Transportation Office) and BIR (Bureau of Internal revenue),” he added.
Cagayan Gov. Alvaro Antonio also denied allegations that smuggling was happening at Port Irene.
“How could there be smuggling when people from the customs bureau and those of other agencies are always around to supervise every time a shipment [of vehicles] arrives? They themselves have repeatedly given assurance that they will not allow smuggling to be committed in CEZA,” Antonio said.
He blamed the detractors of CEZA for sowing false accusations “out of sheer envy.”
Undersecretary Antonio Villar Jr., chief of the PASG, said his agency started looking into the alleged car smuggling at CEZA as early as two months ago at the request of Enrile.
“In fairness to Senator Enrile, he asked us to investigate smuggling at Port Irene and stop [this illegal activity],” Villar told the Philippine Daily Inquirer by phone on Wednesday.
He said a PASG team on Sunday went to the port to monitor the unloading of 382 cars.
“The PASG is just a witness. Like in Subic, it is still the customs bureau that checks on whether the papers [of the importers] are proper,” he said.
6 luxury units
In February, the PASG intercepted in Bulacan province at least six luxury vehicles that came from Port Irene.
“We’re monitoring something there,” Villar said. He did not elaborate. Reports from Melvin Gascon, Inquirer Northern Luzon, and Tonette Orejas, Inquirer Central Luzon
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