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Six Bureau of Customs officials at the Port of Subic were relieved of their posts pending an investigation into the alleged sugar smuggling at the port
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The six were moved temporarily to the Office of the Commissioner pending probe results
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Law Division chief Willie Sarmiento is currently OIC at BOC-Subic
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BOC-Subic foiled an alleged attempt on August 18 to smuggle 140,000 bags or 7,021 metric tons of Thai sugar allegedly using a recycled import permit
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The Sugar Regulatory Administration earlier said the shipment was legitimate
Six Bureau of Customs (BOC) officials at the Port of Subic have been relieved of their posts pending an investigation into alleged sugar smuggling at the port.
Acting Customs Commissioner Yogi Filemon Ruiz ordered the six relieved on August 22.They were “temporarily transferred to the Office of the Commissioner” pending results of the inquiry into the alleged smuggling of sugar from Thailand.
The Office of the Press Secretary identified the relieved officers as: district collector Maritess Martin, deputy collector for assessment Maita Acevedo, deputy collector for operations Giovanni Ferdinand Leynes, assessment division chief Belinda Lim, Enforcement Security Services commander Vincent Mark Malasmas, and Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service (CIIS) supervisor Justin Roman Geli.
Press Secretary Beatriz Rose Angeles earlier said heads may roll at BOC if evidence shows any of the bureau’s personnel are in connivance with smugglers using recycled sugar import permits.
In a separate statement on August 24, Ruiz described the recall of officials as “a standard procedure while an investigation is being conducted.”
He said BOC will not issue a comment until after the investigation is completed.
BOC-Subic Law Division chief Willie Sarmiento is currently officer-in-charge of the collection district.
The officials were relieved after BOC-Subic foiled an alleged attempt on August 18 to smuggle into the country 140,000 bags or 7,021 metric tons of imported sugar from Thailand with total tax payment valued at P45.623 million.
BOC also detained general cargo ship M/V Bangpakaew, which arrived at Subic port on August 17 with the sugar shipment. The ship had already unloaded part of the cargo onto into three trucks that would transport the commodity to Rosales, Pangasinan, the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority said.
Initial investigation by BOC’s CIIS indicated the importer allegedly used a “recycled permit,” one that had been used in a previous importation.
The investigation showed the sugar shipment consignee was Oro-Agritrade Inc. under the account of ARC Refreshments Corp., while the Thai exporter was Ruamkamlarp Export Co. Ltd.
The CIIS reported that the cargo was covered by a “special permit to discharge (SPD) and a verified single administrative document (SAD)” from BOC, and with a verified clearance from the Sugar Regulatory Administration through a certain Rondell Manjarres.
The SRA website identified Manjarres as OIC of the Licensing & Monitoring Division (Luzon & Mindanao Area).
SRA deputy administrator for regulations Guillermo Tejida III said on August 21 the seized sugar at Subic port is legitimate and part of Sugar Order No. 3 approved by the SRA Board in May 2022.
Sugar Order No. 3 provides the sugar import program for crop year 2021-2022 and provides the rules for importing 200,000 MT of refined sugar. SRA said the clearance for the Subic port sugar shipment is valid until September 4, 2022.
Oro-Agritrade also denied that it used a recycled permit, saying it has a valid permit and SRA clearance.
The government has been cracking down on suspected hoarders of sugar who may be planning to cash in their stock when scarce supply has driven up its price further.
