Customs cop, guard steal hot rice at CIP?

CEBU, Philippines - A customs police and a security guard were allegedly behind the reported pilferage of smuggled rice at the Cebu International Port.

Oriental Port and Allied Services Corporation general manager Tomas Riveral said that based on their initial investigation, one of their guards was behind the stealing of 256 bags of rice at the CIP holding area.

“We are pursuing the angle that our security guard is in cahoots with a certain customs police,” Riveral said.

He named the customs police, but The Freeman withheld the name pending the filing of the formal charges. Aside from the customs police, a former OPASCOR employee was also among those responsible in the pilferage.

Customs police chief Camilo Cascolan, Jr. said that an investigation is underway by the National Bureau of Investigation.

“It will be more prudent for us to wait for the results before we point accusing fingers at any one. Such action of pointing at people would lead us to nowhere which we should not indulge in, as in all cases, the presumption of innocence should prevail until proven guilty,” said Cascolan.

Riveral added that based on their investigation, this customs police is always in the container yard inspecting the seized container vans. The customs police when asked for comments strongly denied the allegation saying he is willing to submit himself for an investigation.

“Dili na tinuod (that is not true).I swear to God. I have been serving as customs police for 34 years and I am never involved in any anomaly. Naa may CCTV sa CIP, pwede na nato matan-aw. Wa intawon ko kasulod anang yarda kung asa man gani na ang mga container vans (There are CCTV at the CIP and we can view it. I have never entered in the container yard wherever it is),” the customs police said.

According to Riveral, the guard and the customs police hired a former OPASCOR employee who was terminated for a cause in the year 2000.

“This person is not a retired employee of OPASCOR but was a former employee but terminated for a cause in 2000,” Riveral said.

The pilfered rice shipment was part of the more than 500,000 bags of smuggled rice amounting to P1.2 billion seized by the BoC two months ago.

BOC-Port of Cebu district collector Edward dela Cuesta said that he already have a go signal from Customs Commissioner Ruffy Biazon to go on with the public auction of the remaining smuggled rice, but he is still waiting for the official memorandum from the later.

Meanwhile, Deputy Ombudsman for the Visayas Pelagio Apostol has ordered a fact-finding investigation into the reported pilferage.

Apostol said they will be coordinating with the Commission on Audit (COA) and the BOC for the gathering of evidence.

“Kung seryoso ang pag-usapan, ang Ombudsman ay seryoso, pag may ebidensya hindi kami nagpapatawad pero ang problema lang kung walang ebidensya. Kaya kailangan namin ang mga taong may personal knowledge o kung may leads kami, kami na ang maghahanap ng dokumento at testigo,” he said.  (FREEMAN)