The Bureau of Customs (BOC) filed smuggling cases against eight Cebuano customs brokers and two others before the Department of Justice (DOJ) yesterday.
The respondents who are all working under Medaglia De Oro Trading are allegedly engaged in illegal rice trading because they lacked import permit from the National Food Authority (NFA).
BOC Commissioner John Sevilla said that the move is part of the agency’s drive to stop rice smuggling.
The eight respondents from Cebu were identified as Denise Kathryn Rosaroso, Raquel Sildora Cabasag, Emilio Chio, Myrene Noynay Sollano, Gemma Garcia, Melvin Isagan, John Kevin Cisneros, and Kenneth Quial.
Other case respondents were Emmanuel Santos, the owner of Medaglia De Oro Trading and customs broker Eduardo Borge III of Davao City.
The complaints were filed by BOC Acting District Collectors Mario Mendoza of the Port of Manila; Roberto Almadin of the Port of Cebu; Ricardo Butalid, Jr. of the Port of Davao; and Datu Samson Pacasum of the Mindanao Container Terminal in Misamis Oriental at the office of DOJ Undersecretary Francisco Baraan.
Sevilla said that the charges stem from rice importation of more than 16.039 million kilograms of rice that separately arrived at Manila, Cebu, Davao and Misamis Oriental.
For the Port of Cebu, BOC was able to seize 11.1 million kilograms of rice last August and July 2013 with a dutiable value of P14.7 million and market value of P36.5 million from Singapore and Thailand.
For Mactan International Container Port (MICP), BOC seized 387,500 kilograms from Thailand with P5.9 million dutiable value and P15.5 million market value.
“Rice is a regulated commodity not only because it is our staple food but also a source of livelihood for 2.4 million farming households,” Sevilla said.
“Any sudden surges in imported rice would have catastrophic consequences on millions of farmers and our agriculture industry,” he added.
There are twelve face multiple counts of violating Section 3601 of the Tariff and Customs Code of the Philippines (TCCP) and Section 29 of Presidential Decree (PD) Number 4, as amended by P.D. No. 1485.
Each count of violating Section 3601 of the TCCP carries a maximum imprisonment of ten years.
Related Stories:
Local traders and rice smuggling