Dealer found guilty of smuggling Korean cars

CEBU, Philippines - The owner of Trex Eve Auto Sales and Services in Mandaue City was meted eight to 12 years in jail after he was found guilty of illegal importation of vehicles from South Korea to the Philippines.

Associate Justice Lovell Bautista of the Court of Tax Appeals 3rd Division found sufficient evidence to convict Roel Paquit-Sayson and also fined him P8,000.

Sayson was charged for fraudulently importing used motor vehicle into the Philippines. Reportedly, the accused defrauded the government when he allegedly declared in the Bill of Lading that the cargo was used truck replacement parts.

However, the cargo that came on board the S/S Maas Trader with estimated taxes and duties amounting to P1,779,770.61 turned out to be 12 Kia Sportages and three Hyundai Gallopers.

In their testimonies, Lyndon De Los Santos, a member of Run After The Smugglers program of the Bureau of Customs said it was he who investigated the importation of the 15 used cars consigned to Trex Eve Auto Sales and Services located at A.S. Fortuna St., Bakilid, Mandaue City, Cebu.

Lourdes Mangaoang, head of the Bureau of Customs X-Ray Inspection Project said she received information that there was a shipment of motor vehicles which was not properly declared in the Bill of Lading.  With that, she said she issued an alert order to conduct a physical examination of  all shipments.

Roberto Ecleo, the X-ray inspector of the bureau said he checked the container vans belonging to Trex Eve Auto Sales and Services and found the shipments contained cars instead of used truck replacement parts.

The defense presented Joy Mallari, the documents supervisor of Wan Hai Shipping Lines.  She testified that accused has nothing to do with the preparation of the Bill of Lading.

“Accused did not participate in the preparation of the Bill of Lading, Inward Foreign Manifest, or any participation whatsoever on the shipment,” she said.

Bautista however, ruled based on the evidence presented, she found the evidence of the prosecution had more weight compared to that of the accused.

“Accused failed to present any documents that he is not the owner/proprietor of Trex Eve Auto Sales and Services, neither did he present any evidence to disprove that Trex Eve Auto Sales and Services is not the consignee. Hence, in the absence of evidence showing the contrary, accused failed to overcome the burden of proof that he is not the owner of the said articles,” the decision further read.  — (FREEMAN)