Explain missing cars, Biazon orders former Subic collector

Customs Commissioner Rozzano Rufino Biazon on Tuesday ordered the former customs collector assigned to the Subic Bay Freeport Zone to explain the disappearance of 172 luxury vehicles from the freeport.

Biazon said he had ordered former Subic customs collector and lawyer Marietta Zamoranos to explain what happened to the vehicles which were supposed to be used only within the freeport.

“She would have to explain to me all the circumstances about it,” Biazon told reporters at the Bureau of Customs (BOC) in Manila.

The new customs chief said he wanted to know the exact number of the luxury vehicles and how many had been accounted for.

He said initial reports showed that the vehicles disappeared during the time of former Customs commissioner Napoleon Morales and when Zamoranos was still assigned at Subic. She is now on “floating status,” Biazon said.

Biazon added that Deputy Commissioner for Intelligence Danilo Lim reported to him that the vehicles were supposed to be “used by locators” only within the freeport but some had gone missing.

“The initial information submitted to me by General Lim indicated that these missing vehicles should have been used by locators within the Subic area only and they are supposed to (have) registered blue plates (or) diplomatic plates,” he said.

“I think when they did an inventory, they could not find the vehicles so that is why there is a report that came out that (they were) missing,” he added.

Biazon said those responsible for the security of Subic Freeport should also be questioned about the missing vehicles.

“Aside from the BOC, the agency responsible for the security of the whole facility in Subic should be included in this inquiry,” Biazon said.

“They should provide to us information on how these vehicles were spirited away, if they were indeed spirited away from Subic, because they could have either been driven out or shipped out,” he added.