Palace to Senate: Sue gov’t execs in agri smuggling

MANILA, Philippines — As the Bureau of Customs (BOC) continued to seize more shipments of smuggled agricultural and poultry products from China, Malacañang on Tuesday urged the Senate to file charges against government officials, some of them from the bureau, believed to be involved in the scam.

“We are one with the Senate in fighting corruption in the bureaucracy,” said Martin Andanar, acting Palace spokesperson.

“File the necessary charges before the Office of the Ombudsman so officials and persons mentioned in the Senate report could be afforded due process, face their accusers, and have their day in court,” he added.

Ironically, a Senate committee report released on Monday by Senate President Vicente Sotto III on large-scale agricultural smuggling had identified Customs Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero and 21 other BOC officials, agricultural officials and private individuals as either alleged smugglers or their protectors.

Top BOC officials

Aside from Guerrero, other top BOC officials identified in the report were Deputy Commissioner for Intelligence Group Raniel Ramiro; Deputy Commissioner for Revenue Collection and Monitoring Group Vener Baquiran; Director Geofrey Tacio of the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service (CIIS); and lawyer Yasser Abbas of the Customs Import and Assessment Service.

Guerrero denied the accusations against him, saying in a statement that the BOC was against the “fraudulent importations” of agricultural products and remains “committed to its mandate of securing the country’s borders against the entry of smuggled agricultural products and other illicit goods.”

He added that because of his reforms, the BOC was able to seize P2.5 billion worth of smuggled agricultural products from 2016 to May 2022, and file 111 criminal cases before the Department of Justice against unscrupulous stakeholders.

In a statement, Baquiran also categorically denied involvement in agriculture smuggling.

“These imputations are malicious and false, “ Baquiran stressed.

DA chiefs, too

Tacio also denied being “a coddler of smugglers,” saying the CIIS, under his command, had been leading the drive against agricultural smuggling while remaining “relentless in conducting enforcement operations at the ports, warehouses outside ports, and public markets against smuggled agricultural products.”

“Whoever gave the list may have been one of the smugglers whom we have apprehended their shipments. But we will not be deterred,” Tacio said.

For his part, Abbas said that he does not aid or abet smugglers of agricultural products in any shape or form.

“My function as the director of the Import and Assessment Service is not involved in any manner in the processing, clearance or release of agricultural products,” Abbas said in a statement.

Also on the list were Department of Agriculture (DA) Undersecretary Ariel Cayanan, Bureau of Plant and Industry (BPI) Director George Culaste, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Director Eduardo Gongona, and Laarni Roxas of BPI Central Luzon.

The committee report also tagged Navotas Mayor Toby Tiangco, as an alleged protector of the smuggling of fishery products.

The alleged smugglers, the report said, include David Tan (aka David Bangayan), Gerry Teves, Mayor Jun Diamante, Manuel Tan, Jude Logarta, alleged “Onion Queen” Leah Cruz, Andy Chua, George Tan, Paul Teves, Tommy Go, and Wilson Chua.

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