5 Customs staffers tagged in rice pilferage

The Bureau of Customs has identified five of its personnel as having a hand in the pilferage of rice confiscated at the Cebu International Port.

Cebu District Collector Edward dela Cuesta said they received a copy of the investigation results last Monday, but he refused to give the names of the staff involved saying he still needs to endorse the findings to Customs Commissioner Ruffy Biazon.

“The commissioner will be the one to decide on the recommendations on the results of the investigation,” he said.

“With due respect to the commissioner, I will let him know first and ask for his recommendations.”

The five BOC personnel filed their counter affidavits after they received summons to answer the charges. The staff continue to report for work, Dela Cuesta said.

He said they are willing to compare findings with the results of a parallel investigation into the stolen rice stocks conducted by the National Bureau of Investigation.

The Oriental Port and Allied Services Corp. (Opascor) and the Cebu Port Authority (CPA) are also conducting separate investigations on the rice pilferage.

Annabel Page, chief legal counsel of Opascor, said the investigation is still ongoing while Karen Gonzales, CPA media liaison officer, said that the port police have already submitted their findings to the CPA board.