BOC not releasing rice yet

CEBU, Philippines - More than a week since the 16,000 bags of rice intended for residents of Isabel, Leyte were put on hold by the Bureau of Customs (BOC)-Cebu, the shipment’s documents as well as the rice samples are still under scrutiny.

BOC-Cebu Law Division Chief Rico Rey Holganza said that based on the documents submitted by the Philippine Phosphate Fertilizer Corp. (Philphos), the shipment is actually already "okay" for release.

He, however, said that he still has to wait for the Enforcement and Security Services of the Customs Police to submit its findings on the said shipment.

It was known that the Customs Police submitted samples of the rice to the International Rice Research Institute in Los Baños, Laguna to determine whether the rice is either of local or imported variety.

"Samtang wala pa na ang (Pending that) findings, dili ko makahatag og pinal nga rekomendasyon kung (I cannot give a final recommendation to) e-release ba na ang bugas o dili (the rice or not)," said Holganza.

It was the Customs Police that issued an alert order and held the rice shipment onboard MV Queen of Joy, which is still docked at Pier 2 in Cebu City.

Philphos is listed as consignee of the shipment,  which Isabel, Leyte Mayor Marcos Gregorio Cerillo said is intended as relief goods for his 40,000 constituents affected by super typhoon Yolanda.

Ramon Tan, president of Isabel, Leyte's Association of Barangay Councils and Philphos' port operations vice president, had also said that the shipment was from Manila and was bound for his town.

The ship, however, first made a stop in Cebu City to get 12,000 packs of relief goods coming from Senator Alan Peter Cayetano here for distribution in Isabel's neighboring towns.

Philphos, who has a manufacturing plant in Isabel, has been extending help by giving relief goods in the town. Based on a receipt from Maunlad Rice Mill, the company has paid P27.1 million for the said rice shipment.

BOC-Cebu has put on hold the shipment since Nov. 24 after Philphos at that time failed to show or submit a certificate of donation from the Department of Social Welfare and Development and shipping permit from the National Food Authority.

Cerillo and Tan last Saturday appealed to Customs officials for the immediate release of the shipment, pleading that their constituents may go hungry especially that that their current relief packs are only good for a week.

Cerillo said Philphos has been helping the people after the typhoon since the relief goods coming from the national government only arrived on the 11th day after super typhoon Yolanda struck Leyte last Nov. 8.

The BOC had suspected that the rice was smuggled, especially that no documents were submitted when it arrived in Cebu.

Tan had said that it is impossible that they would engage in rice smuggling, considering that their business is fertilizer.

The mayor also attested that the shipment is meant as relief assistance for his constituents, who lost their homes and livelihood when Yolanda wrecked havoc in his town and other parts of the Visayas.-/RHM (FREEMAN)