Customs releases text messages sent by ex-LTO chief Torres 

The Bureau of Customs (BOC) on Wednesday released the text messages former Land Transportation Office (LTO) chief Virginia Torres sent to Customs Deputy Commissioner Jessie Dellosa, a report on GMA-7's "24 Oras" said.


 

 

On September 4, Dellosa received a message saying, "Ipapakiusap ko po sa [sic] yung 4 na containers na naisama sa asukal pero GM [general merchandise] lang po mga yun. Please po. Thanks po. Virgie Torres po." 

 

Dellosa replied that they were canned goods, not general merchandise. 

 

Still, Torres asked if he can still release the goods. Dellosa did not reply. 

Meanwhile, Ret. Gen. Willie Tolentino, a special assistant of the Customs Intelligence Group, clarified that Torres did not mention President Benigno Aquino III's name while requesting to release the misdeclared shipment during their meeting. 

 

"Nabanggit niya pangalan ng Presidente pero hindi naman related sa sugar smuggling," he said. "Wala naman siyang ibinabanggit na ni-link niya pangalan ni Presidente doon sa lakad niya sa akin," he said. 

 

Tolentino stressed that based on their conversation, Torres is involved in sugar smuggling. 

 

Tolentino said the former LTO chief admitted to him that she owns the smuggled sugar, along with her business partner Philip Sy. 

 

Torres also sent messages to Tolentino on August 20. 

 

In the text messages to Tolentino, Torres asked him not to confiscate the 34 containers of Global Classe, which is the consignee of a batch of smuggled sugar. 

 

"Sir sana po huwag muna pa alert yung 34 ng Gloval [sic] Classe. Please po. Thank you," she wrote. 

 

Tolentino said that all of the shipment was confiscated. 

 

"Nagte-text siya sa akin. Kung anuman iyong sinasabi niya na kabaliktaran sa sinasabi ko ngayon bahala na tao ang maghusga," he said.  

 

Torres has denied that she tried to arbor the shipment. 

 

"Arbor is different from asking advice... Sabi ko kay Philip--pinagalitan ko pa nga siya--sabi ko, 'Philip nakaalerto pala iyon [shipment] eh. Sabi mo hindi pa naka-alert. Wala na tayong magagawa diyan,'" she said.  — Trisha Macas/ELR, GMA News