Investigation report out “very soon”

CEBU, Philippines - The joint investigation report of the Bureau of Customs and the National Bureau of Investigation on the reported rice pilferage at the Cebu International Port will be out “very soon”.

BOC-Cebu district collector Edward dela Cuesta said he already had a copy of the investigation report of the Enforcement and Security Services.

“I already have the copy of the report. The result of the investigation of both agencies will be out very soon,” said dela Cuesta.

The report will be forwarded to Customs Commissioner Ruffy Biazon. ESS chief Camilo Cascolan refused to reveal the content of his report.

“Ang investigation ng ESS tapos na. But would be better for us to wait for the NBI investigation to be completed,” Cascolan said in text message.

Dela Cuesta earlier ordered an investigation and inventory of the seized smuggled rice after the reported pilferage. The inventory team headed by Arneth Manquiquis said there were 272 bags of rice missing.

These were part of the 520,000 bags of smuggled rice from Vietnam that were seized by customs sometime in April this year. Dubbed as the “mother of all smuggled rice”, BOC Cebu already earned P250 million out of the proceeds of the seized shipment in two public auctions.

BOC Cebu is still to conduct two more public auctions for the remaining smuggled rice. The third public auction is scheduled on August 22, wherein an estimated of 140, 920 bags will be sold in public bidding.

The fourth public bidding is expected to be done by early of September this year. (FREEMAN)