‘Rising fuel sales cut oil smuggling’

MANILA, Philippines - Oil smuggling is on the decline based on the rising retail sale of fuel, a Bureau of Customs official said, citing a report from an oil industry executive.

“What the oil industry is saying is that they see their sales have been increasing, which is attributed to a decline in smuggling,” a BOC source said.

The source said the oil executive told BOC officials of the drop in smuggling cases and the rise in fuel sales during a close-door meeting on the sidelines of the celebration of the Port of Batangas 57th anniversary last Tuesday.

The BOC official declined to name the oil industry executive.

Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Carlos Jericho Petilla, however, earlier said oil smuggling remains rampant.

The Customs official said they are helping the DOE address the problem by stepping up their monitoring of inbound oil shipments.

An oil industry source earlier said oil smuggling was rampant in Phividec in Misamis Oriental, Subic in Zambales, as well as in Davao, Zamboanga and Bataan.