Inside job possible in loss of smuggled rice

The loss of 500 sacks of smuggled rice inside the Cebu International Port (CIP) may have been an inside job, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) said yesterday.
“Kung obvious ba na may inside job, hindi ko sasabihin yan. Pero kung posible ba? Yes. (Is it obvious that there was an inside job? I couldn’t say that for sure  but if you ask if an inside job is possible? Yes,” NBI-7 Director Antonio Pagatpat said.
Pagatpat assigned three NBI-7 agents to investigate the loss of the rice cargo earlier seized by the government.
“We have to find out if indeed smuggled rice stocks are missing. If reports are true,  we will investigate who are responsible and the custodian of those items,” he said.
Pagatpat said the NBI will coordinate with the Commission on Audit (COA), Cebu Ports Authority (CPA) and the Bureau of Customs (BOC) in its investigation which started last Friday.
The Ombudsman-Visayas is also investigating the incident.
Based on the latest inventory, more  than 500 sacks are missing valued at  P780,000.
The rice is part of  P1.2 billion worth  smuggled rice which arrived in several shipments that were confiscated by the BOC last March and April.
The rice was stored at the CIP which is under the CPA’s supervision.  The smuggled rice was supposed to be sold in a public auction last June 25 and July 18.
However, Customs Commissioner Ruffy Biazon reportedly halted it upon the instructions of Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima. Under the law, the Enforcement and Security Service of the BOC is the official custodian of all confiscated cargoes.