BOC frees ship held for missing rice

CEBU, Philippines - The Bureau of Customs has already released a Vietnamese vessel that was held for more than a month after it paid P2,000 fine for the missing rice shipment of the National Food Authority.

BOC Port Operations Division chief Edgar Galeos said they were forced to issue clearance to MV Dai Phat after the shipping company paid the fine for violating Section 2522 of the Tariff and Customs Code of the Philippines.

Galeos said under the TCCP disappearance of manifested article carries only a penalty of P2,000 even if the missing cargo involves millions of pesos.

Palapo Customs Brokerage through counsel Ralph Sevilla earlier requested Cebu customs district collector Ronnie Silvestre not to issue a clearance to the vessel unless it is able to account the 1,832 bags of rice imported by NFA for Visayas Agri-Trading Philippines.

The vessel arrived in Cebu Port on May 11 but short-landed the number of bags of rice. Out of the 78,000 bags, as stated in the manifest, there were only 76,177 bags accounted for.

According to the brokerage, the missing bags of rice amounted to P2.7 million for which they are claiming payment from the shipping company.

Galeos said he learned that the brokerage firm was already paid by the insurance for the missing cargo. (FREEMAN)