The Bureau of Customs has responded to calls for an all-out operation against bigtime smugglers. In its intensified battle against these syndicates, the bureau had charged two Cebu-based businesswomen for rice smuggling.
The recent case was filed by the BOC before the Department of Justice against a certain Gemma Aida Belarma. Owner of Melma Enterprises, Belarma was accused of bringing in "hot rice" from Vietnam worth at least P63 million in March.
On August 16, the BOC also filed a smuggling case against Jane Mabano, who allegedly illegally imported P354 million worth of rice from Vietnam. Mabano's firm, MMSM Trading, was the alleged consignee of the illegal shipment which arrived at the Port of Cebu on March 31.
Based on the bureau's records, the two shipments were declared as granite slabs, stone slabs and wall insulators to escape National Food Authority permits, a clear violation of the Tariffs and Customs Code, according Customs Commissioner Ruffy Biazon.
This heightened crackdown on smugglers came after President Aquino lambasted the bureau for its slow response against illegal importation of goods. His criticism triggered a massive revamp among district collectors across the country.
It cannot be denied that the bureau is one of the most corrupt agencies in the government. In fact, the government loses billions of pesos every year due to the under-the-table transactions at the bureau that 'legalized' the illegal importation of some goods.
We expect that with the intensified war against smuggling syndicates, the BOC leadership should also go after its erring personnel. The fact that smuggling has been flourishing in the country can largely be attributed to the clear connivance between the syndicates and some bureau officials.
While we hail the filing of charges against the two suspected smugglers in Cebu, the battle will never be won unless an honest-to-goodness cleanup is implemented at the bureau. Still, the public is hoping that the agency will be able to meet its mission as a graft-free branch of the government.