Onion Smugglers Charged

Six traders and brokers may have realized it too late that Customs Commissioner Ruffy Biazon is serious in his campaign to rid the Bureau of Customs (BOC) of smugglers.

During the filing of smuggling charges against traders Maria Guia Alfonso, owner of Advanced Impex International Trading, Micheal Galon Jovan, owner of Iana Enterprises and Raymundo Conge Rebozido, owner of Royal Halo Enterprises and their respective brokers Vanessa S. Ocampo, Steve Salagade Semblante and Jason Ferrer at the Department of Justice (DOJ) today, Biazon reiterated his call for smugglers to keep off their illegal operations at the bureau.

“We will not allow smugglers of agricultural products to place our local farmers in a very bad situation. We will extend the long arms of the law, wherever it will take us, if only to stop your illegal activities and to place you where you rightfully belong,” Biazon said in warning to onion smugglers.

All three traders and their brokers were charged for violation of Sections 3601 and 3602 of the Tariffs and Customs Code of the Philippines (TCCP) for Technical smuggling and for violation of Section 2503 of the same code for Misdeclaration. The six of them were also charged for violating Article 172 of the Revised Penal Code for Falsification.

Alfonso declared his two (2) 40 foot container loads of onions as apples. Its assessed value was placed at four (4) million pesos. Jovan for his part declared his six (6) container loads of onions as pastries. Its assessed value was placed at 18 million pesos. And Rebozido declared his four (4) container loads of onions as plastic and kitchen wares with an assessed value of 5.3 million pesos.

Rebozido’s shipments were actually able to get through customs gate. However, when it was tailed by customs operatives to its warehouse, the shipment turned out to be onions and not plastic and kitchen wares as declared.

All the above shipments have been issued Warrant of Seizure and Detention (WSD) orders and are now under customs custody.

“I would like to say it again that today’s filing of smuggling charges is only one of the many more charges we are going to file against those who violate the law. There will be no sacred cows at the bureau under my watch,” Biazon said.

Joining Biazon were Deputy Commissioner Danilo Lim of the Intelligence Group and RCMG Deputy Commissioner Peter Manzano, concurrent OIC of the Run After The Smugglers (RATS) program of the Bureau of Customs. Public Information & Assistance Division (PIAD), Bureau of Customs (BOC)