BOC forms task force vs meat smuggling

MANILA, Philippines - Following allegations that the Bureau of Customs failed to stop the smuggling of meat products, BOC Commissioner Rufino Biazon has formed a new task force to thwart attempts to slip confiscated goods from warehouses in ports all over the country.  

Hograisers have threatened to stage a five-day “pork holiday” to protest the continued smuggling of meat products.

Biazon said Task Force React, which stands for Revenue Enhancements for the Attainment of Collection Targets, is one of the solutions the BOC is offering to stop smuggling.

“All importations of frozen meat, poultry, agricultural and fish products loaded in refrigerated container vans (reefer vans) shall be subjected to preliminary physical examination at the port of entry in the presence of representatives from CIIS (Customs Inspection and Investigation Service), Task Force React,” Biazon said in his recent memorandum issued to district collectors.

Biazon said the task force’s first assignment is to take part in a top to bottom scrutiny of the importations by major food importers and determine if they are part of massive smuggling of frozen meat.

Intelligence officer Teddy Sagaral was named head of the task force.

Biazon, addressing concerns that task force members are not examiners and would duplicate the functions of the BOC’s Revenue Enhancement and Protection unit, said the REP team “is more on the analysis of import entries filed to see possible undervaluation. They are only confined in my office while members of the task force are the ones on the outside to catch if the shipments were misdeclared.”