MS. OSEÑA-PAEZ: Magandang umaga, Malacañang Press Corps, welcome to our press briefing today, August the 29th.
In this morning’s sectoral meeting led by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., he issued directives to the Bureau of Customs to continue the warehouse raids to address hoarding and illegal importation of rice.
Para bigyan pa tayo ng detalye tungkol dito at sa iba pang operasyon ng BOC, kasama natin si Bureau of Customs Commissioner Bienvenido Rubio at Director Verne Enciso.
Magandang umaga, Commissioner Rubio and Director Enciso. Good morning.
BOC COMM. RUBIO: Good morning, ma’am. Good morning, Malacañang Press Corps.
I would just like to tell you that in a recent service of a letter of authority, we served three letters of authority against three warehouses reportedly utilized in storing imported rice located at the Intercity Industrial Complex, San Juan, Balagtas, Bulacan. The three warehouses that were subjected to the visitorial power of the Commissioner are: Great Harvest Rice Mill Warehouse located at Intercity Industrial Complex, San Juan, Balagtas, Bulacan; San Pedro Warehouse, Intercity Industrial Complex, San Juan, Balagtas, Bulacan; and FS Rice Mill Warehouse, same location.
When the subject LOA were served, implemented and subsequent inventory were conducted, the sacks of rice respectively found in the subject warehouses were imported from Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand with an initial estimated aggregate value of 505 million pesos; 25,000 estimated sacks of rice were found at Great Harvest Rice Mill; 167,000 estimated sacks of rice found at San Pedro warehouse; and 10,000 estimated sacks of rice found at FS Rice Mill warehouse.
Thereafter, the subject warehouses were sealed temporarily to secure the imported sacks of rice found therein pending the completion of the inventory by the assigned examiners which will continue on … today, August 29. It is being currently under guard by personnel from the Bureau of Customs and the Philippine Coast Guard.
The owners and operators of the warehouses were directed to submit proofs of payment of duties and taxes due the subject imported sacks of rice within 15 days from the implementation of the LOA or until September 8, 2023 pursuant to Section 224 of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act.
MS. OSEÑA-PAEZ: Okay. Would you like to add or address questions first? Yeah? Any questions from Malacañang Press Corps?
Q: Sir, can you name names, itong mga may-ari ng tatlong warehouses?
BOC COMM. RUBIO: Together with us is our Director for Customs Intelligence Investigation Service, they were tasked in implementing the Letter of Authority. So, maybe the details will be coming from him.
BOC DIR. ENCISO: Good morning po. As to the owners of these imported rice, this will be part of the investigation that’s being conducted by the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service. Aside from the import documents, also the lease agreements or lease contracts of these warehouses will also be part of the documents that will be required to be submitted to the Bureau of Customs.
Q: Pangalan po nila, sir?
BOC DIR. ENCISO: Wala pa po. This will be part of the investigation and, it’s still ongoing pa po.
Q: And also, is this the first time na sila iyong mga nakumpiskahan ng mga ganitong product or nasangkot na po ba sila dati sa mga smuggling or hoarding?
BOC DIR. ENCISO: Backtracking will also be part of the investigation [to determine] if these said owners or importers of these rice have already previous cases with the Bureau [of Customs]; it will also be part of the investigation, ma’am.
MS. OSEÑA-PAEZ: Allan Francisco, PTV-4.
ALLAN FRANCISCO/PTV-4: Ano po iyong magiging kaibahan ng magiging operasyon po ninyo matapos nitong direktiba ni Pangulong Marcos dito sa inyong pag-address dito sa hoarding and illegal importation? Magki-create po ba kayo ng task force, magiging massive ang inyong operation laban dito?
BOC COMM. RUBIO: Well, as per the directive of the President, ang gagawin po natin is we will validate all warehouses that are storing imported rice and then upon validation, we will then issue—again, I will then issue letters of authority to conduct inspection on these warehouses and to validate whether these imported articles or imported rice that are stored in these warehouses are paid with correct duties and taxes.
ALLAN FRANCISCO/PTV-4: Sir, how about the investigation sa loob, sa Bureau of Customs because of this, allegedly, illegal importation? May gagawin din po ba kayong ganoon?
BOC COMM. RUBIO: Well, if we find people to be involved in the release of illegally—or smuggled rice, then we will file cases against them.
MS. OSEÑA-PAEZ: Okay. Job Manahan, ABS-CBN.
JOB MANAHAN/ABS-CBN: Good morning, sir. Sir, paano po ano—we may have missed this information, paano po na-tip off iyong tatlong warehouses doon sa Balagtas, Bulacan? Sino pong nag—paano ninyo vinet [vet]? Paano po napunta iyong information sa inyo?
BOC COMM. RUBIO: Well, a derogatory information was coursed through the intelligence group and then upon validation, they were able to find out that there are really imported rice that are stored inside the warehouses. So immediately after they report, I issued three letters of authority to conduct visitorial powers on these warehouses.
JOB MANAHAN/ABS-CBN: Ano pong mangyayari doon sa mga na-confiscate na bigas?
BOC COMM. RUBIO: Well, upon presentation po of the letter of authority, bale binibigyan po natin sila ng 15 days as per Section 224 of the CMTA na makapagbigay ng proof of payment of duties and taxes. Kapag hindi po sila nakapagbigay ng proof of payment of correct duties and taxes, then doon po magkakaroon po ng issuance of iyong tinatawag nating warrant of seizure and detention – iyon na po ang magbibigay ng authority sa amin para ikumpiska iyong mga imported articles that are stored inside those warehouses.
JOB MANAHAN/ABS-CBN: Last na po sa end ko. Possible po ba na umikot iyong bigas sa mga market natin? Plano po ba nating ibenta ito or wala pa tayo sa ganoong usapin ngayon?
BOC COMM. RUBIO: Wala pa po tayo kasi … dahil po sa pagbibigay natin ng 15 days sa kanila as per our law, CMTA Section 224, we’re still checking kung mayroon po silang maipakita sa atin. Kapag may naipakita naman po, then we will be releasing the cargo; pero kapag wala pong naipakita, then that is the time that we will be confiscating the rice.
Temporarily now, the warehouses, the three warehouses are sealed and are being guarded by elements of the Philippine Coast Guard and Bureau of Customs.
MS. OSEÑA-PAEZ: Okay. Ivan Mayrina, GMA 7.
IVAN MAYRINA/GMA7: Commissioner, are we prepared to make the conclusion that there was hoarding in fact, doon sa tatlong warehouses?
BOC COMM. RUBIO: The authority of the Bureau of Customs only extends on whether the imported rice that are stored inside those warehouses are paid with correct duties and taxes. I cannot make that conclusion, sir.
IVAN MAYRINA/GMA7: May news article po kasi quoting Speaker Romualdez na three months na raw nandoon iyong bigas, so there’s possible hoarding. Hindi ho saklaw ng [Bureau of] Customs iyon, kung nagho-hoard nga?
BOC COMM. RUBIO: The authority lies in other government agencies. For the Bureau of Customs po, our authority is on the determination whether payment of duties and taxes were made on these imported rice.
IVAN MAYRINA/GMA7: Okay, panghuli na lamang po. Iyong utos nga ho ng Pangulo, ano ho ang magiging susunod na hakbang ng [Bureau of] Customs dito? Do we expect more inspections of warehouses nationwide?
BOC COMM. RUBIO: Opo. As per the directive po ng ating Pangulo, we will be conducting more inspections of these warehouses, and the inspection and visitation will be coordinated with other agencies like the DA and DTI po.
MS. OSEÑA-PAEZ: Okay. Sam Medenilla, Business Mirror.
SAM MEDENILLA/BUSINESS MIRROR: Good afternoon, sir. Itatanong lang po sana namin kung magkano na po kaya iyong nakolektang tariff ng BOC mula sa legitimate rice importation mula January po?
BOC COMM. RUBIO: Mula January hanggang August, ang total volume po na dumating sa atin is about 2,257,079,280—rather, two million, I’m sorry, per metric ton po – two million metric tons, about more or less 2.2 metric tons. Ang duties and taxes po na binayaran para dito ay—tingnan ko lang po. Wala po yata sa dala kong data pero I’ll … puwede ko ho bang sagutin in a few minutes po iyong total.
SAM MEDENILLA/BUSINESS MIRROR: Sir, follow-up na lang din po. Compared po sa data last year, tumataas po ba or bumababa iyong imported rice?
BOC COMM. RUBIO: Paki-ulit po, tumataas or …?
SAM MEDENILLA/BUSINESS MIRROR: Compared po iyong data ngayon, iyong nabanggit po nilang two million metric tons, ano po siya compared to last year, tumaas po ba siya or bumaba or the same pa rin?
BOC COMM. RUBIO: Bumaba po, bumaba po for the month of August. And sa kabuuan po, as per 2022, iyong parating from January to July, ang dumating po is about 2,675,300 metric tons. Samantalang ngayon pong 2023, same period po is about 2,257,079, about negative fifteen point sixty-three percent po (-15.63%) po.
SAM MEDENILLA/BUSINESS MIRROR: Sir, last question na lang po. Ano po kaya ang rason kung bakit naging ganoon iyong trend?
BOC COMM. RUBIO: Actually, year-on-year naman, noong 2021, tumaas siya noong 2022. But on this 2023, wala ho kasing eksaktong kuwan kasi katulad po ng April natin, iyon naman po iyong highest recorded volume na dumating as compared to 2022. So hindi ko po masagot kung ano iyong naging reason bakit po bumaba iyong volume for this year.
MS. OSEÑA-PAEZ: Tuesday Niu, DZBB.
TUESDAY NIU/DZBB: Good morning, sirs. Sir, matanong lang po, ano: Kumusta po iyong rate ng enforcement ninyo against smugglers? Kasi matagal na pong naririnig namin kay Presidente na hulihin, kasuhan iyong mga smugglers. So, so far, sir, saang punto na kayo dito sa ginagawa ninyong enforcement sa mga smugglers? Natukoy na ba ang mga ito? May nakasuhan na ba? Ano po iyong lagay ng mga kaso na iyan?
BOC COMM. RUBIO: As of currently po, ang mga nakumpiska, total apprehended contrabands or smuggled goods is totaling about mga 30 billion mahigit na po, and this is the highest so far in the last five years kapag year-on-year basis po ang pag-uusapan.
Now, doon po sa mga nakasuhan, and tuluy-tuloy naman po kaming nagpa-file ng kaso, and now, we are now in close collaboration and coordination with DOJ para po mapabilis iyong pagsampa ng kaso at pag-file ng charges against the smugglers po na nahuli natin, na-identify natin.
TUESDAY NIU/DZBB: Opo. Puwede ba nating pangalanan kung sino ang mga na-identify na smugglers?
BOC COMM. RUBIO: I don’t have the data here with me po. It’s still under preliminary investigation po sa DOJ para sa mga cases na na-file. So siguro po upon filing of the charges po, then we can identify them po.
MS. OSEÑA-PAEZ: Follow up from Chona Yu of Inquirer.
CHONA YU/INQUIRER: Sir, just a quick follow up on Tuesday’s question.
BOC COMM. RUBIO: Can I just answer the amount doon sa kuwan po. As of August 26 po, it’s about 16.8 billion na po ang nasisingil natin from imported rice.
CHONA YU/INQUIRER: Sir, quick follow up on Tuesday’s question, sir: What’s the conviction rate doon sa mga kaso na sinasampa ninyo?
BOC COMM. RUBIO: I am aware po na may na-convict na but I just don’t know the conviction rate po.
CHONA YU/INQUIRER: Pero, sir, may mga naaabsuwelto po ba iyong mga kaso?
BOC COMM. RUBIO: For the current status po ng mga [kaso] ay pending or ongoing ang trials in our courts. This is closely being monitored by the legal service or the BATAS which is the primary prosecutor po of these smuggling cases is led by the Department of Justice. We are the ones who are providing all of the information and evidences that are being utilized in prosecuting these cases, so tulung-tulong po ang Bureau of Customs and Department of Justice.
CHONA YU/INQUIRER: Ilan na po, sir, ang na-convict?
BOC COMM. RUBIO: We will be getting the data po and we will be submitting the updated status of these current cases and the convictions.
MS. OSEÑA-PAEZ: Okay. Cathy Valente, Manila Times.
CATHY VALENTE/MANILA TIMES: Yes, sir, good morning po. Sir, tanong lang namin kung ilang kaso na po iyong na-file against the hoarders or smugglers at anu-ano po iyong mga status nila kung puro ongoing lang po ba kasi parang since last year pa po yata nagbigay ng directive din si President at saka sabi rin ni Secretary Bersamin na it will be filed soon. So, ilan na po ang kasong nai-file, may we get po the exact data, number? Thank you.
BOC COMM. RUBIO: Wala po akong data na hawak ngayon about the exact [number of cases filed], but then again I will check with legal service and BATAS and give the details to Usec. Daphne.
CATHY VALENTE/MANILA TIMES: Pero, sir, mayroon bang mga involved na government officials sa mga hoarding and smuggling, mayroon po ba?
BOC COMM. RUBIO: Investigations are still being conducted po so we wait for the result of the investigation po.
CATHY VALENTE/MANILA TIMES: How long, sir, ang ating investigation kasi parang matagal na at parang tumatagal lalo.
BOC COMM. RUBIO: Well, pagdating po, kapag mayroon ho na-buildup na kaso ang Bureau of Customs then we submit all the evidences with the DOJ and it will be DOJ who will help us in filing the cases po. So, sila po iyong nagku-collate lahat iyan at tinitingnan kung iyong ebidensiya natin ay sapat para makasuhan natin iyong mga dapat kasuhan.
MS. OSEÑA-PAEZ: Okay. We can get updates from the Department of Justice, we can arrange for that. Nestor Corrales.
NESTOR CORRALES/PDI: Sir, in a memorandum to the President, Representative Estela Quimbo said in July that the onion cartel and other agricultural smuggling was operated primarily through the Philippine Viva Group of companies. Ano na po ang updated dito, na-follow up ba ito ng Bureau of Customs because this was one of the parang companies or cartels identified during the House hearing? So, ano po ang update dito, ano po ang na-find out ng Bureau of Customs regarding these smuggling activities?
BOC COMM. RUBIO: Actually po sa pakikipagtulungan namin with DOJ po, sila po ngayon ay may task force po na nabuo and sila po iyong bumubuo ng mga na-gather nating evidences. So, hintayin po natin iyong magiging resulta po doon sa DOJ.
MS. OSEÑA-PAEZ: Okay. Last question, Jean Mangaluz.
JEAN MANGALUZ/ INQUIRER.NET: Sir, balik po tayo doon sa 505 billion. So, paano po nakakalagpas iyong ganito kalaking amount ng goods na hindi alam ng BOC? May possible lapses po ba?
BOC COMM. RUBIO: Iyon pong na-determine natin na 505 million na nakita po natin na current stocks ng tatlong bodega eh iyon po iyong value na ilalagay natin as per the number of sacks that were present in these warehouses. But then we still have to wait for the 15 days po to check kung mayroon ho silang maipakitang proofs of payment of duties and taxes. Kapag may naipakita po silang mga papel na duties and taxes were properly paid, then in order po iyong pagdating ng mga [bigas] sa warehouse na iyon.
MS. OSEÑA-PAEZ: All right. Super last question from Nestor.
NESTOR CORRALES/PDI: Sir, the President has repeatedly said and warned hoarders that their days are numbered. How long will we wait to be able to see results of these investigations and what is BOCs commitment to the President and to the public that these cases will finally be resolved and magkakaroon po tayo ng conviction?
BOC COMM. RUBIO: Well, pagkatapos po ng pag-uusap kanina sa Malacañang, sa utos po ni Presidente Marcos eh ngayon po nagpa-send na ako ng mga tao to check on the possible warehouses kung saan po naka-store ang mga ito. And then, kapag na-validate na natin at nakita natin na wala pong mga bayad ang mga nakikita natin sa bodega then we will confiscate and then we will identify all the owners of these smuggled rice and katulad po nang sinabi ko, maganda naman po ang coordination namin with DOJ at may assurance po na tutulungan kaming pabilisin po iyong pag-file ng mga kaso.
MS. OSEÑA-PAEZ: Okay. And we end with Alvin Baltazar, PBS.
ALVIN BALTAZAR/RADYO PILIPINAS: Commissioner, habol ko lang po: With the directive of the President himself na i-intensify iyong campaign natin against smuggling, kinu-consider ninyo bang gumamit noong reward system para makakuha tayo ng maraming tip mula sa mga tao?
BOC COMM. RUBIO: Actually, sir, there’s an existing reward system po – mayroong tinatawag pong informer’s reward under our CMTA po.
ALVIN BALTAZAR/RADYO PILIPINAS: So, would you like to give us some details about the reward system – magkano iyong pupuwedeng matanggap na reward/incentive?
BOC COMM. RUBIO: If I’m not mistaken, it’s about 20% po of the value of the goods. Kapag iyong goods po na nakuha natin are goods of value na puwede nating i-auction then they are entitled po to [the reward].
ALVIN BALTAZAR/RADYO PILIPINAS: Sir, hotline?
BOC COMM. RUBIO: Mayroon po yata sa website.
BOC DIR. ENCISO: BOC-CARES (Customer Assistance and Response Service), it’s under customs.gov.ph. We have a link there po for all of these informants and information leading to suspected smuggled goods.
MS. OSEÑA-PAEZ: Okay. We’re good. Thank you so much, Malacañang Press Corps. And thank you Commissioner Rubio and Director Enciso of the Bureau of Customs. Magandang hapon sa inyong lahat. Thank you.
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News and Information Bureau – Transcription Section
