Customs finds 79,000 sacks of sugar, rice inside 2 Caloocan warehouses
INQUIRER.net stock images
MANILA, Philippines — At least 13,000 sacks of sugar and 66,000 sacks of rice, estimated to have a combined worth of P231 million, were found inside two warehouses in Barangay 168 of Caloocan City, according to the Bureau of Customs (BOC).
The BOC said in a statement that the Customs agents inspected the warehouses by virtue of a letter of authority (LOA) and a mission order from Customs Commissioner Yogi Filemon Ruiz to check on the imported goods in the warehouse.
The bureau said the examination was necessary for its visitorial power to investigate possible instances of illegal sugar importation at the warehouse.
As President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. learned of the sugar import attempt on Monday, congressional inquiries into the fiasco were at their peak.
As Ruiz sees it, these actions show that the BOC is committed to addressing the suspected hoarding of agricultural products, which has been blamed for the recent spike in sugar and other commodity prices.
“We are very proud of these recent operations—the ones in Bulacan, Pampanga, Pangasinan, Manila, Batangas, and Davao. It proves how serious we are in getting at the bottom of the issue of hoarding agricultural products, like rice and sugar,” Ruiz said.
“We are aware of how these could affect our farmers, our markets, the people. The inspections we’ve been doing are aimed at stopping this abuse,” he added.
The BOC said the warehouses were located inside a compound along Kabutuhan Street and Deparo Road in Barangay 168.
Customs Intelligence and Investigation Division (CIIS) Director Jeoffrey Tacio said that aside from the sugar and rice, the inspection teams also found other items like alcohol, packaging materials, and other goods that they believe were imported.
According to Tacio, the local barangay and police officers were informed of the operation in advance, and they worked with the composite team from BOC and military intelligence to plan their entry into the warehouses.
He said warehouse managers were properly informed about the operation, which the local officers witnessed.
“The team that inspected the warehouse found thousands of sacks of rice and sugar. They also found alcohol, packaging materials, chips, cocoa powders, and many other imported goods,” Tacio said.
The CIIS has effectively sealed up all access points to the warehouses. The BOC said it will give warehouse owners or their agents 15 days to provide documentation for any suspicious goods identified on the premises.
The warehouse owners and/or representatives were also given 15 days to present the proper documents for the imported products and agricultural goods found in the compound.
The Senate resumed its investigation into Sugar Order No. 4 from the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) earlier. Marcos blocked Order No. 4 for allegedly being illegal, as it was signed on his behalf without his knowledge.
READ: Bongbong Marcos rejects proposal to import add’tl 300,000 MT of sugar | Palace: Heads will roll for sugar import mess
During the House’s version of the probe conducted on Monday, Several lawmakers asked former Department of Agriculture (DA) undersecretary Leocadio Sebastian why the department initiated such an order.
Sebastian told lawmakers he used a memo authored by Executive Secretary Vic Rodriguez as an authority and the pressing need for sugar importation to offset a looming shortage.
READ: SRA exec points to memo as reason for crafting sugar import order without Marcos’ nod | PH importing sugar after all: Marcos okays 150,000 MT
