THE Bureau of Customs (BOC) under Comm. Rey Leonardo Guerrero continues to defy the odds by again overshooting its assigned collection target for the month of July, for an historic 13-month surplus collection roll.
Assistant Commissioner and bureau spokesperson, Atty. Vincent Maronilla, quoting from the report from the Financial Management Service, said the agency posted a surplus collection of P4.432 billion or 8.2 percent above its target of P53.751 billion after actually collecting P58.183 billion.
Maronilla added that 14 out of the bureau’s 17 collection districts hit their assigned targets, namely: the ports of Subic, San Fernando, Manila, NAIA, Batangas, Legaspi, Tacloban, Surigao, Cagayan De Oro, Zamboanga, Davao, Clark, Aparri, and Limay.
Last month’s result would be the 13th month in a row since June 2020 that the BOC has continuously registered a surplus collection as against target.
Last year, the BOC collected P539.687B or 106.23 percent above its target collection. Further, the Bureau maintains the feat by collecting P359.930B or 104.15 percent against its target collection of P345.584B from January to July 2021.
Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero, in a brief message, commended the efforts of the frontliners and employees of the agency “who, despite the risk to their health and safety as Delta variant cases surge, showed their unwavering commitment and dedication to service.”
P86 million smuggled onions seized
At the Port of Subic, Collector Maritess Martin, reported to Guerrero the confiscation of P86.3 million worth of red onions from China misdeclared as “chapatti bread.”
Martin said the shipment arrived on board 23X40-footer vans consigned to a certain ‘Duar Te Mira.’
CIIS Subic chief, Verne Enciso, said the consignee tried to evade detection by “splitting” the cargo into two shipments with the first 11 containers arriving last July 9, 2021 and the remaining 12 containers arriving last July 13, 2021.
“The modus operandi in this incident is thru ‘splitting’ of cargoes.
“We monitored the manifests of incoming ships and identified several containers also consigned to Duar Te Mira,” Enciso explained.
Martin made sure the shipment would be immediately held by issuing a ‘pre-lodgment control order’ (PLCO) that authorized customs officers to examine the shipment even before the filing of a customs entry (declaration) by the consignee.
Martin said the examination of the first shipment yielded red onions valued at more than P41.250 million while the second shipment was valued at P45 million.
Martin added that during the examination, efforts were also made to ensure that no illicit drugs were included by tearing down the walls and ceilings of the containers.
“This is a considerable volume of smuggled agricultural products here in our port.
“One possible intention could have been to offload here in the North and pass these off as locally grown produce,” said Martin, who ordered a follow up investigation and the tracking down of the consignee who was a no-show during the inspection.
Guerrero, for his part, also lauded the Port of Subic for the successful anti-smuggling operation.
“Especially in this time of pandemic, our District Ports are on high alert for any smuggling attempts particularly on agricultural products that can flood the market and gravely affect the income of our local farmers.
“We prevented that with the seizure of these shipments,” said the customs chief.
The BOC is now weighing its options on how best to dispose the shipment which had already been seized in favor of the government.