Probe on oil smuggling to include big players

MANILA, Philippines - The government is doing its best to curb smuggling and at the same time ensure that all taxes are paid, not to mention the policy to prosecute smugglers and hale them to court, Presidential Spokesman Edwin Lacierda said Tuesday. 

“The DOF (Department of Finance), the Bureau of Customs, and the BIR (Bureau of Internal Revenue) have aggressively stepped up the campaign to curb oil smuggling, and to make sure that we bring justice to smugglers,” he said.

Lacierda said investigations will include even the so-called Big 3. In a briefing, he said the probe will not be limited to small players but will also include big players like Pilipinas Shell, Petron and Chevron.

He said “some (suspected) smugglers” have already been “identified” many of whom are now facing charges before the Department of Justice, and are undergoing preliminary investigation.

Lacierda said government efforts to “improve tax collection” still continues, and at the same time “we try to curb smuggling of oil.”

“In terms of efforts being done by DOF, the Bureau of Customs, and BIR have visited seven major district ports to gather data and among them major oil importing ports, such as the Port of Limay (in Bataan),” he explained. 

The first wave of visits were undertaken from February 5 to March 15; the second wave of visits will begin by this month to the Manila International Container Port, the Port of Manila, Port of NAIA, and the Port of Batangas, and other major oil importers.

“So we’re doing a number of efforts to make sure that we curb smuggling. So we’ve stepped up on efforts and ensure that we minimize, if not totally, curb oil smuggling,” Lacierda disclosed.

In late March, Customs commissioner Ruffy Biazon personally checked the unloading of diesel from an oil tanker docked in Mariveles, Bataan to ensure that the oil discharge procedures are strictly observed and the oil importations are properly taxed.