00:00 More than 3 billion pesos worth of shabu hidden in tea bags almost slipped past the port of Subic in September.
00:08 During the Senate's hearing on the proposed budget of the Bureau of Customs,
00:12 Senator Rafi Tulfo asked about the consignee or importer.
00:16 Customs identified a company named Locar, but Tulfo warns the perpetrators may never be arrested,
00:23 saying smugglers usually use dummies or even names of dead people.
00:29 I will go first. You will not be arrested because the person named Locar is someone you will never see again.
00:40 Most of the consignees are either households, drivers, vagabonds, or dead people.
00:51 Customs Deputy Commissioner Juvie Max Uy says the Bureau has a verification process.
00:56 One of the requirements is the income tax return for the past year,
01:00 but Tulfo says this can easily be tampered with if the smuggler conspires with BIR personnel.
01:07 We are trying to verify all this information.
01:10 We're in fact, sir, I joined the Bureau last year from the Armed Forces.
01:15 The anti-smuggling of the airport of the Bureau so far is the highest in its history, sir, when I joined the Bureau.
01:21 But Senator JV Ejercito says Subic has become notorious not only for illegal drugs,
01:27 but also for the millions of pesos worth of smuggled chicken, pork, and other agricultural products.
01:34 Ejercito smells something fishy.
01:37 Chicken leg quarters in the port of Subic is valued half compared to other ports.
01:42 If you enter Subic, it's cheaper here.
01:45 Maybe they're talking about something. Subic is notorious, sir, it's the preferred entry of agricultural products.
01:53 And it's relatively easy to enter this port than other ports.
01:56 Tulfo says someone named Aaron is the country's biggest smuggler.
02:01 You know this, JLDCS, SRA, IRRV, AP.
02:07 There's also Lea, another smuggler.
02:11 Tulfo adds some smugglers are even name-dropping palace officials.
02:16 The solution, according to Tulfo, a stricter vetting process to clean the list of consignees.
02:23 He says applicants should personally appear before the Bureau.
02:27 The custom says it's doing everything it can, noting that four Rai smugglers were convicted recently.
02:33 Despite these issues, the Senate Committee on Finance approved the proposed 5 billion peso budget of the Bureau.
02:39 It will next be scrutinized in plenary.
02:42 Amor Santos, CNN, Philippines.
Comments