Smuggling of 6-seater plane foiled in Cebu

SAN FERNANDO CITY, La Union – Smugglers may try to bring in everything from luxury cars to canned meat, but an airplane?

Two officials of the Bureau of Customs (BOC) assigned at the Laoag International Airport (LIA) and a Japanese pilot are facing criminal and graft charges for allegedly smuggling a six-seater plane to Cebu last year.

Those charged were Rogelio Rabanal and Manuel Rico, acting Customs collector and appraiser, respectively, and Capt. Takeshi Ishida of Topflite Airways Inc. based in Cebu City.

Based on a document obtained by The STAR, the complaint was filed by Edward Baltazar, BOC district collector here, and received by the Office of the Ombudsman for Luzon on Dec. 17, 2007.

In his complaint, Baltazar alleged that Rabanal, Rico and Ishida violated provisions of the Tariff and Customs Code of the Philippines (smuggling) for allowing the Japanese pilot to land the Piper Mojave at LIA and depart for Mactan International Airport (MIA) in Cebu without the required documents.

The plane originated from Japan.

Rabanal allegedly allowed the plane to leave for Cebu after Ishida paid $100 (roughly P5,000 at that time) for services rendered by LIA as shown in an improvised receipt.

However, when the plane landed in Cebu, it was immediately taken into custody by Customs authorities for lack of notice of arrival and without necessary documents for its entry.

When informed of the plane’s seizure in Cebu, Rabanal allegedly wrote Fe Toring, BOC officer in charge at MIA, requesting that the aircraft be brought back to LIA for appropriate action.

Topflite Airways, the plane’s importer, allegedly settled its obligations at Rabanal’s office but Baltazar allegedly found the assessment, appraisal and collection of Customs duties, taxes and penalties injurious and disadvantageous to the government.

Baltazar said more than P2 million in revenue was allegedly lost in the transaction.

The plane, worth eight million yen, was given a hold order and is currently parked at a Customs warehouse in Cebu.

Rabanal and Rico could not be contacted for comment.