Tulfo names alleged ‘big-time’ oil smugglers

Senator Raffy Tulfo presides over a consultative meeting with concerned agencies to discuss fuel marking on Thursday, January 19. Screengrab from Senate of the Philippines YouTube

MANILA, Philippines — Senator Raffy Tulfo on Thursday named alleged big-time oil smugglers in the country.

During the Senate committee on energy meeting with concerned agencies, Tulfo named the following as allegedly being involved in fuel smuggling:

(Navotas)

Don Rabonza

(Batangas and Sariaya)

Sonny Qiu

Jackie Chu

Aron Uy

Lindon Tan

(Mariveles Bataan)

Alex Chua

Bogs Violago

Jong Mangundadatu

Dondon Alahas

Tulfo did not present evidence during the hearing.

BOC special agent Anthony Escandor then said that he did not know any of the names mentioned by Tulfo.

READ: BOC intensifies fight vs smuggling, corruption

“Ito’y listahan ng mga big-time oil smugglers… Marami kang hindi kilala (This is a list of big-time oil smugglers. You do not know them),” Tulfo told Escandor during the committee on energy meeting with concerned agencies, which was also live-streamed on social media.

Tulfo said that even street and market vendors know who the alleged oil smugglers are.

“Bakit hindi mo, ninyo kilala? Alam ko — it might not be you — kasi ‘yung mata, tainga, bibig ay, sabi nga nila, baka nakapaskil na ‘yung Tito, Vic, and Joey. Alam n’yo ‘yung Tito, Vic, and Joey? Tatlong mukha,” Tulfo said, referring to the P1,000 bill that has World War II heroes World War II heroes Josefa Llanes Escoda, Vicente Lim and Jose Abad Santos on its face.

(Why don’t you know them? I know — it might not be you — because their eyes, ears, and mouth, as they say, are covered by Tito, Vic, and Joey. You know Tito, Vic, and Joey? Three faces?)

The senator was also saddened that authorities apparently do not know how to do their jobs.

“Nakakalungkot po na ‘yung ating awtoridad, hindi nila alam ‘yung kanilang trabaho. Hindi nila ginagawa ‘yung kanilang tungkulin,” he said.

(It is saddening that our authorities do not know their jobs. They are not rendering their duties.)

“This is supposed to be your job to go after oil smugglers, to identify who are these people. Ang kaso ang kaya niyang i-identify, ang napakaliit na gas station. Dito nagkakaproblema,” he continued.

(But, you can only identify small gas stations. We have a problem here.)

Tulfo then reiterated his call to the BOC that it go after big-time oil smugglers.

READ: Tulfo grills BIR, BOC for going after online sellers instead of oil smugglers

/MUF