Oil firm charged with smuggling

The Bureau of Customs on Thursday filed a billion-peso smuggling complaint against Petronas Energy Philippines and a number of customs brokers at the Justice Department over questionable importation of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).

In a press conference, newly appointed customs chief Rozzano Rufino Biazon said the complaint covered the period from July 2010 to March this year, when Petronas imported petrol products which passed through the ports of Cebu and Iloilo and the sub-port in Iligan.

The complaint covered 51 import entries with a dutiable value of P1.05 billion, Biazon said.

“There were no load port survey in the said ports and they are considered high risk. They should not have been released as they were. Therefore we believe that they are liable under the law,” he added.

Biazon identified the respondents as Evelyn Cardoza Tameo, Petronas chief financial officer, and customs brokers Gerry Lee Uy, Carlos Barte, Dennis Ayong and Edgar Rey Dallana, and other John and Jane Does.

According to Biazon, an investigation by the Run After the Smugglers (Rats) group and an audit report by the bureau showed that Petronas imported the petrol products without the required load port survey.

“The repetitive violations of 51 times compelled us to see this as a big case to file the complaint against officials of the corporation,” Biazon said.