Star witness in P6.4-B shabu smuggling probe is not a customs broker, says chamber

An accredited organization of customs brokers said Thursday that star witness Mark Taguba is not a legitimate customs broker as he was identified in the House inquiries into the illegal transportation of P6.4 billion worth of shabu into the country.

"For the information and guidance of the public, Mr. Taguba, is not a customs broker and not a member of the customs broker profession," the Chamber of Customs Brokers, Inc. (CCBI) said in a statement.

"Accordingly, we request the members of Congress and media practitioners not to continuously address him customs broker," the chamber said.

Taguba was identified as a private customs broker when the House Committee on Dangerous Drugs granted him legislative immunity so he could name individuals who supposedly accept bribes to speed up the processing and releasing of shipments through the Bureau of Customs (BOC).

Section 28 of Republic Act 9280, or the Customs Brokers Act of 2004, prohibits unqualified persons from using the title, word, letter, figure, or "any sign tending to convey the impression that one is a customs broker," according to the chamber.

They are also prohibited from indicating that they are qualified to practice the profession unless they pass the customs broker licensure exams, given by the Professional Regulatory Board for Customs Brokers, and obtain a license to practice from the Professional Regulation Commission.

"CCBI will not hesitate to initiate forthwith appropriate legal action/s against anyone to protect its legitimate members against any unauthorized use of the title 'customs broker' at the expense of the customs broker profession," the group said.

Taguba's revelations on Monday prompted Import and Assessment Service director Milo Maestrecampo and Customs Investigation and Intelligence Service (CIIS) chief Neil Estrella to file their respective courtesy resignations.

Estrella and Maestrecampo were but two of the officials and personnel of the BOC Taguba named as beneficiaries of bribe money.

Taguba also named Customs deputy commissioner Teddy Raval, Manila International Container Port (MCIP) district collector Vincent Maronilla, MCIP CIIS district intelligence officer Teodoro Sagaral, one deceased Major Gutierrez, a certain Maita, and one Jayson – whose last names he didn't have.

During another House hearing on Wednesday, Taguba revealed a "customs broker" supposedly runs a bigger operation involving the weekly release of 250 containers through customs. — VDS, GMA News