BOC expands Zamboanga City smuggling probe to local execs, media workers

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines—The Bureau of Customs has expanded its investigation into smuggling activities here—which was triggered by the disappearance of 845 sacks of smuggled Malaysian sugar last week—and it now includes local officials from neighboring areas and journalists.

Deputy Customs Commissioner Jessie Dellosa told reporters here Tuesday that the smuggling activities here involved “many personalities.”

He admitted that the smugglers and their conduits have been working hand in hand with some people in law enforcement agencies, including the BOC.

“They were given certain amounts for protection by those involved in smuggling, who are local officials … such as mayors and vice mayors,” he said.

Dellosa said the BOC has started looking into the involvement of some media personalities because of “text messages” pointing to them as fixers in many instances.

“We are validating that too,” he said.

Mayor Ma. Isabelle Climaco-Salazar has said all she wants is “to clean up the city” and does not care who gets dragged into the investigation.

“It is not enough that government officials and persons in authority are relieved and or transferred. Administrative, civil and criminal cases should be filed against erring officials and personnel before the Ombudsman. Those responsible must be held accountable and justice must be served,” she said.

Dellosa said the Bureau of Customs might be able to come up with a final report in a week’s time and that charges would be filed by then.

He said that the BOC would not tolerate personnel involved in the activities.  Heads will eventually roll, according to Dellosa.

In the meantime, embattled district collector Miguel Saquisami will remain as head of the local Customs office.

Saquisami found himself in the middle of the smuggling controversy after it was found out that only 326 of 1,171 sacks of sugar earlier seized by the Philippine Coast Guard and the local police remained under the BOC custody.

Dellosa said that during the investigation, BOC probers learned that Saquisami had commissioned eight trucks to transport the seized sugar from the port to the BOC warehouse on January 7.

Only three trucks managed to reach the warehouse. The rest had disappeared.

“I was informed it was the district collector who commissioned the trucks. Unfortunately, the trucks were also owned by the owner of the seized sugar,” Dellosa said.

In Cagayan de Oro City, the Department of Finance said that multiple charges were filed against two rice traders based in CDO for illegally importing at least P82.68 million worth of glutinous rice.

Charged were Elmer Cañeta, owner of EC Peninsula Commercial, who was said to have illegally imported 910,000 kilograms of glutinous rice valued at P54.6 million in November 2014; and Michael Abella, owner of New Dawn Enterprises, who reportedly illegally brought in 468,000 kilograms of glutinous rice, which was valued at P28.08 million, also in November.

The DOF said the shipments both originated in Vietnam.

“Both firms were not issued Certificates of Eligibility to import rice by the National Food Authority (NFA) nor obtained the required import permits from the NFA for its rice importations,” the DOF said in a statement furnished the Inquirer.

In the import documents, Cañeta and Abella reportedly declared their cargoes as gypsum boards, plaster board, kitchenware and tiles.

“There was clear intent to hide the rice shipments precisely because these traders know that they are importing rice without the required permits. We are working closely with the NFA to set policies and procedures that are easy and simple to understand to improve the compliance of rice traders,” Customs Commissioner John Sevilla said.