Navy seizes oil tanker carrying P50 million in alleged smuggled fuel

The Philippine Navy (PN) intercepted an oil tanker alleged to be carrying more than P50 million in smuggled fuel off Luzon.

According to Maki Pulido's report on "24 Oras" on Friday, the Navy deployed the BRP Lolinato To-Ong after it received an alert from Coast Guard District Palawan that it spotted a vessel allegedly containing undocumented oil.

Naval Forces Southern Luzon Spokesperson Lt. Regeil Gatarin said authorities spotted the oil tanker off Cabra Island in Mindoro. The tanker attempted to flee but they caught up with it off Corregidor Island.

Recovered from the vessel were 847,000 liters of suspected smuggled oil valued at around P50.8 million.

"Yung tanker na 'yun is coming from Palawan so possible na papunta po siya sa mainland sa Luzon, either Manila or Subic or Batangas kung saan nila possible na ibagsak po 'yung kanilang goods," Gatarin said.

(That tanker came from Palawan. So, it's possible it was headed for mainland Luzon, either Manila or Subic or Batangas, where they could possibly disembark their goods.)

The oil tanker and its 11 crew were turned over to the Bureau of Customs (BOC).

The BOC said the vessel was docked at Pier 13 in Manila while the arrested suspects had gone through inquest proceedings.

In 2016, the Philippines lost P26.87 billion in tax revenues due to smuggling or misdeclaration, said the BOC.

Meanwhile, according to a 2018 Philippine oil industry study, the government lost P43.8 billion in tax revenues from smuggled or misdeclared petroleum products. — Sundy Locus/DVM, GMA Integrated News