BOC officials, staff face probe over entry of melamine-tainted milk

MANILA, Philippines – Six officials and a clerk of the Bureau of Customs (BOC) will undergo preliminary investigation before the Office of the Ombudsman to determine probable cause to criminally charge them for allegedly allowing the entry of melamine-tainted milk from China in 2008.

The six are operations officers V. Emmanuel Reyes and Akmad Noo; operations officers III Dante Crisostomo, Ruben de Rama, and Paulita dela Cruz; assistant operations officer Taha Cali; and clerk III Felicissimo Javier.

The anti-graft agency’s Field Investigation Office has recommended that they also be charged administratively for gross neglect of duty, grave misconduct, inefficiency and incompetence in the performance of official duties and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service.

The following private individuals will also be subjected to preliminary investigation:

Ederlinda Cochanco, Ellen Cochanco, Lucio Cochanco Jr., Elliz Cochangco, and Larry Conchangco, members of the board of directors of Flyace Corp.; Neil Ruzol, broker; and Ulysses Asuncion, representative, both of IMPEX PRO Logistics Corp.

The Office of the Ombudsman said the Customs officials failed to verify the correspondence of the certificate of product registration with the sales invoice and bill of lading for Jolly Cow High Calcium Low Fat Milk prior to its release in the market.

Records showed Jolly Cow Slender High Calcium Low Fat Milk was imported by Flyace Corp. without the required certificate of product registration from the Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD).

Investigators said health department administrative order 37 and circular 2007-06 require any person desiring to import or export food and food products to file an application for registration for every food item.

It was found that Flyace presented a certificate of product registration for Jolly Cow Pure Fresh Milk, a product with a label different from Jolly Cow Slender High Calcium Low Fat Milk.

Investigation also showed that the import entry and internal revenue declaration described the goods as “Jolly UHT Pure Milk,” not “Jolly Cow Slender High Calcium Low Fat Milk.”

“The accuracy, completeness and authenticity of the import entries for Jolly Cow (Slender) High Calcium Low Fat Milk should have been ascertained by the document processor, examiner, principal customs examiner and principal customs appraiser based on import procedures by the BOC,” investigators said.

“Having failed to do so, respondents caused the entry into the country of Jolly Cow Slender High Calcium Low Fat Milk without requiring the Certificate of Product Registration.”

An inspection by the BFAD showed that the milk product had traces of melamine, a substance found hazardous to human health.

An inventory conducted on Oct. 8, 2008 showed that a total of 27,912 packs of Jolly Cow Slender High Calcium Low Fat Milk with traces of melamine were distributed in the market.