MANILA, Philippines — An estimated P519 million worth of imported rice and local palay were discovered sitting in four different warehouses in two Bulacan towns, the Bureau of Customs (BOC) said on Wednesday after their latest operation.
Reports from BOC showed that aside from the 154,000 sacks of imported rice discovered, operatives also found 60,000 sacks of palay in the following warehouses:
- Gold Rush Ricemill/ Warehouse, San Juan, Balagtas, Bulacan
- JJS Rice Mill/ Warehouse, Wakas, Bocaue, Bulacan
- Gold Rush Rice Mill 2, Wakas, Bocaue, Bulacan
- A gray-colored gate inside the Intercity Industrial Complex in San Juan, Balagtas, Bulacan
BOC Commissioner Bien Rubio said that the latest efforts came after their sectoral meeting with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who asked the bureau to do more raids to deter possible rice price hikes.
If the warehouse owners fail to show proper documents proving that they have paid their taxes and customs duties, legal cases may be filed while the sacks are confiscated.
“Yesterday, we had a sectoral meeting with the President, who gave a clear directive about how we can help stop the rising cost of rice in the market. So, this is our answer to that order,” Rubio said.
“We have just discovered four warehouses storing rice grains and palay, and if the owners of these warehouses fail to show proper documents that they rightfully paid the taxes and duties they owe to the government, then we will take immediate legal action and confiscate the items here,” he added.
Intelligence Group Deputy Commissioner Juvymax Uy revealed that they received derogatory information about the warehouses, verifying it before obtaining Letters of Authority from Rubio.
“The key here is acting with immediacy because we understand that we are fighting against big-time organizations that can potentially cripple our agricultural sector. This is important not only to our agricultural workers, our farmers but more so for the everyday Juan who toils to put food on the table,” he said.
Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service (CIIS) Director Verne Enciso meanwhile said that the intelligence information gathered by their group may be enough to thwart rice smuggling and hoarding.
“Our intel about how massive the scale of these activities is drives us to be one step ahead of any potential smuggling attempt. And so while we commend the people behind every operation, we must enjoin them to build up on the past successes and work on bringing these smugglers to justice,” he added.
This is the second time in the last seven days that BOC visited rice warehouses in Bulacan. Similarly, they were accompanied by lawmakers led by House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez himself, and other solons like Reps. Erwin Tulfo, Wilfrido Mark Enverga, Ambrosio Cruz, Jr., and Edvic Yap.
Romualdez proposed that rice confirmed to be either smuggled or hoarded be seized by the government and then sold at very low prices.
READ: Smuggled, hoarded rice must be sold at very low price, says Romualdez
Last August 24, BOC closed down three warehouses storing imported rice. Romualdez, who was present during that raid, explained that some traders are storing their rice for three months in anticipation of higher world market prices.
READ: ‘Moderate your greed:’ Stop rice hoarding, release stocks, Romualdez tells traders
President Marcos has already assured the public several times that the government is doing everything it can to monitor the prices of rice. On Tuesday, the Chief Executive called on the BOC to do more raids of warehouses suspected of being used to hoard rice.
READ: Marcos: Gov’t watching rice price movements