Bureau of Customs sets auction date for seized hot rice

CEBU, Philippines - The Bureau of Customs in Cebu has scheduled a public auction on August 7 the remaining 162,240 bags of smuggled rice seized last April.

District collector Edward dela Cuesta said that the required publication has already been complied with. 

The auction was originally scheduled in July 18 but was postponed upon orders of Commissioner Rufino “Ruffy” Biazon.

Biazon ordered to halt the bidding following reports that the National Food Authority is interested to bid for the said shipment but for a much lower price.

NFA offered to buy at P850 per bag while the previous price was pegged at P1,574 per bag. In fact, it was the price paid by the winning bidder in the first auction held in June 6.

There were 26,013 bags of smuggled rice sold in the first bidding giving the government a whooping P40,953,852 earnings.

The shipment was part of the P1.2 billion worth of smuggled rice from Vietnam seized by the Bureau of Customs after it was misdeclared. Part of the shipment has also been pilfered.

The customs inventory team reported a total of 272 bags that were stolen at the Cebu International Port. An investigation is already being conducted by the Ombudsman and the National Bureau of Investigation.

Initial reports have it that a customs police and a security guard of Oriental Port and Allied Services Corporation were behind the pilferage.  FPL (FREEMAN)