BOC foils sugar smuggling using 'recycled' permit; Palace says heads will roll

Agents from the Bureau of Customs (BOC) have prevented the alleged smuggling of 7,021 metric tons of sugar after they learned that the import permit was "recycled."

A news release issued by the Office of the Press Secretary on Friday said acting BOC Commissioner Yogi Filemon Ruiz reported the "attempted smuggling" to Executive Secretary Victor Rodriguez, who has tasked the BOC to exercise visitorial powers in sugar warehouses upon orders from President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.

Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service (CIIS) officer-in-charge Joeffrey Tacio said the cargo was covered by a “Special Permit to Discharge (SPD) and Verified Single Administrative Document (SAD)” from BOC, having a verified clearance from the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) through a certain Rondell Manjarres.

“Initially, the said cargo vessel was allowed to discharge its load at 11am today (Thursday), cleared by SRA and BOC, because it was not covered by the failed attempt to import 300,000 MT of sugar. This means that the recycled permit was from an old allocation,” Tacio said.

Ruiz, for his part, directed the BOC in Subic Port to take under its custody the 19 crew members of the cargo vessel that was found to be loaded with white refined sugar from Thailand.

The sugar shipment was equivalent to 140,000 bags and has a total tax payment value of P45,623,007.51, authorities said.

Meanwhile, Rodriguez's office also received reports about the similar modus in which "recycled import permits" were allegedly used to smuggle sugar last week.

Rodriguez's office identified individuals who allegedly control Subic Port, including a certain Buboy and Reggie, who both use “Kysse Lish” and “Foxxie” as consignees.

“This is clearly economic sabotage and this crime is non-bailable,” the report from Rodriguez's report stated.

Heads will roll

On the other hand, Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles warned that heads would roll in the BOC if proven that its port personnel are "in connivance with smugglers using recycled sugar import permits."

She also disclosed that at least one of the warehouses recently inspected by the BOC was not registered with the Sugar Regulatory Administration.

“Suspicions were raised when the owner claimed that the stock pile was the result of slow sales. Matumal daw,” Cruz-Angeles said.

“Doon pa sa hinarang na shipment, gamit pa daw ang permit from Sugar Order No. 3. Kung totoo ito, lalong nagiging suspicious 'yung madaliang paglabas ng Sugar Order No. 4,” she added.

(In the averted shipment, they use Sugar Order No. 3. If this is true, the immediate release of Sugar Order No. 4 has become more suspicious.)

Sugar Order No. 4 was branded as illegal by Malacañang as Marcos, who sits as Department of Agriculture secretary, has rejected the proposal to import 300,000 metric tons of sugar.

Cruz-Angeles had said Marcos did not approve the meeting of the Sugar Regulatory Board regarding the said importation. —KBK, GMA News