Palace won’t condone ex-LTO chief Torres’ ‘influence peddling’

A Malacañang official on Monday said that it will not tolerate the actions of former Land Transportation Office (LTO) chief Virginia Torres who reportedly tried to negotiate the release of smuggled Thai sugar worth more than P100 million in the Bureau of Customs (BoC).

“Well, it is very clear that in the recent case—we don’t have the facts, and based only on what was accounted in the Inquirer story, it shows the resolve also of this government that we will not countenance any influence peddling and no matter who you are,” Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said at a press briefing on Monday.

A report from the Inquirer revealed that on August 20, Torres showed up at the Customs Intelligence Group (CIG) office to negotiate the release of at least 64 shipping containers which contained the smuggled Thai sugar.

Torres, a known shooting buddy of President Benigno Aquino III, reportedly dropped Aquino’s name, suggested that the proceeds of the sale of the illegally imported sugar will be used in the 2016 elections and claimed that she had contacts with the Sugar Regulatory Administration.

However, the BoC thumbed down her request.

Lacierda commended the decision of the BoC not to grant Torres’ request.

“We commend the decision of and the conduct of the BOC officials in making sure that we do not condone smuggling in our shores and in our ports,” he said.

In the same report, Torres admitted negotiating with the BoC for the release of shipment containing “general merchandise” for her friend Philip Sy. However, she claimed that upon learning that the shipment contained smuggled sugar, she reprimanded Sy.

“Philip just asked me to help him… I’m not for illegal business,” Torres said. JE