‘This is the risk we face’

"This is one of the risks that we face for stopping all forms of smuggling at the piers," said a visibly bothered Customs Commissioner Antonio Bernardo when asked for a reaction to the failed assassination attempt on District Collector Felipe Bartolome and the killing of two Customs officials in Cebu City.

Although Bernardo refused to name the persons or groups behind what he described as dastardly acts, all indications point to big-time smuggling syndicates as those responsible for the twin incidents.

Customs officials said they (smuggling syndicates) are the ones most affected by the success of the intensified campaign of the Bureau of Customs against all forms of smuggling.

"We look at this as a form of retaliation to get even with us," said one ranking Customs official, who added that the continued apprehension of illegal shipments of rice, sugar, luxury vehicles and other highly-dutiable goods have cost syndicates millions of pesos.

Bernardo, however, said that the foiled attempt on the life of Bartolome and the assassination of Cebu Customs Deputy Collector Eduardo Lao, Customs appraiser Benneth Sorano and Customs guard Erwin Melmida only shows "that we are breaking the backbone of the smuggling syndicates."

Almost daily, authorities at all Customs ports continue to apprehend illegal shipments of regulated goods amounting to hundreds of millions of pesos. These shipments are mostly misdeclared if not grossly undervalued to avoid payment of correct duties and taxes.

Recent confiscation by the bureau of illegal shipments consisted of rice, sugar and banned used clothing from Thailand, Singapore, China and the US and Vietnam.

There have been unconfirmed reports that the smuggling syndicates are out to assassinate more Customs officials for having a hand in the confiscation of their multi-million peso worth of illegal shipments.