NBI asks Ombudsman to probe 10 Customs employees for loss of container vans

https://www.nbi.gov.ph/ photo

MANILA, Philippines—The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has asked the Office of the Ombudsman to subject to preliminary investigation several Bureau of Customs (BoC) personnel in the purported anomalous release of 20 container vans from the ports of Batangas and Manila in 2011.

Madrino de Jesus, NBI supervising agent, said the government lost at least P1.4 million in duties and taxes when the erring customs personnel let the shipping containers leave the ports without inspecting them from February to June 2011.

In a supposed attempt to mislead the authorities, De Jesus said, the BoC officials released a memorandum showing that no importer or customs broker surfaced after the bureau issued an alert on the container vans.

“This is the last-ditch effort on the part of the concerned (BoC officials) to conceal their transgressions and misdemeanors and to further mislead any investigation being undertaken to unearth the truth,” De Jesus said in a statement.

Among those recommended to be investigated were former BoC Intelligence Division head Fernandino Tuazon, BoC Intelligence Group officer-in-charge Filomino Vicencio Jr., BoC Ports Operations Division chief Felix Embalsamado, BoC intelligence officer Marina Rae Galang and BoC lawyer Floro Calixihan Jr.

Also to be investigated were former Port of Batangas district collector Juan Tan, BoC Assessment Division chief Leonardo Peralta, customs agents Araceli Arellano, Diosdado Bagon and Ariel Dionisio, importers Loida Jalimao and Wilson Werba, and employees of Zoom Cargo Base Forwarders and ACA International Forwarding.

De Jesus said the NBI probe on the supposed anomalies was prompted by alert orders issued by Galang to Vicencio regarding the 20 steel container vans, which were consigned to Zoom Cargo.

He said Galang claimed that the shipping vans were reportedly undervalued, misclassified and contained misdeclared items.

The BoC, however, eventually lifted the alert orders, which allowed the trucking services to deliver the container vans without being subjected to routine examination, De Jesus said.

The BoC officials, he added, failed to check the status of the 20-foot container vans and did not prepare the necessary post-examination report on imported goods covered by alert orders.

He said documentary evidence and truck drivers interviewed by the NBI confirmed that the container vans were taken to various destinations after the alert orders were lifted.

De Jesus said the brokers and consignees later presented documents as attachments and documentary support for the release of the 20 shipping containers “to make it appear that everything was legal.”

The NBI official said the brokers and consignees also submitted “bond for transit cargo documents” signed by a certain Manolito del Rosario of MG Villacorte Trading.

However, records showed that Del Rosario passed away in September 2009, according to De Jesus.

“(This is) a clear case of falsification committed by Arellano, Jalimao, Werba, Zoom Cargo and ACA International employees,” De Jesus said.