Coast Guard Station Commander Elpidio Gunio said his team intercepted four 20-footer container vans of brand new television sets and refrigerators. The suspicious shipment was opened in the presence of the Coast Guard, representatives from the Customs Bureau and representatives of an appliance manufacturer to whom the shipment was consigned. The van stripping was done at the Lorenzo Shipping container yards at Pier 5 yesterday morning.
Gunio said they responded to a tip-off from the Coast Guard command in Davao who advised that they had checked on a bill of lading that declared "empty bottles." The shipment apparently originated from the Port of Davao and was consigned to an international appliance manufacturer that has appliance showrooms in Cebu. Operatives in Cebu then proceeded to scrutinize the shipment in a joint operation with the Customs Bureau.
Customs men had to climb the two-stack high container vans because where one of the suspicious cargo was placed. Upon stripping, the vans yielded the brand new appliances. No amount was disclosed on the value of the shipment.
Upon investigation, Gunio quoted a representative of the consignee to have said the company "knew fully well" that it declared the shipment as "empty bottles" on the bill of lading to "scrimp on freight and insurance costs."
Gunio said that because the consignee has the reputation of being an internationally known appliance manufacturer, Customs might have assumed that the shipment was regular. Customs though was prompted to open the vans where documents were apparently not properly scrutinized.
As of yesterday, the Coast Guard said that disposal of the misdeclared cargo was with the jurisdiction of the customs bureau. - Ruth G. Mercado