Fil-Chinese chamber: shabu importer not a member

MANILA, Philippines -  One of two Chinese men detained by the Senate for alleged involvement in the smuggling of P6.4 billion worth of shabu is not connected with the Filipino-Chinese General Chamber of Commerce Inc., the FCGCCI said yesterday.

The Senate Blue Ribbon committee ordered Chen Ju Long, alias Richard Chen/Tan, and Manny Lee detained last week for allegedly lying before the panel about the shipment of 604 kilos of shabu from Xiamen, China that passed through the express lane of the Bureau of Customs.

“Established in 1904, the Filipino-Chinese General Chamber of Commerce Inc. is the oldest chamber of commerce in the Philippines,” according to a letter sent to The STAR and signed by FCGCCI president Antonio Tan, chairman Benito Goyokpi and chairman emeritus James Dy.

It was not clear whether Lee was a member of the FCGCCI or not.

In his sworn statement submitted to the committee, Chen – tagged as the exporter and recipient of the drug shipment – said he “came to know” Lee from association meetings of the Chinese businessman.

“Mr. Lee approached me in one of the Fil-Chinese Chamber of Commerce meetings and referred me to EMT Trading,” Chen said, referring to his search for a company that will help facilitate his importations from China.

During the hearing last week, Senate Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III and Sen. Panfilo Lacson said the detention should help the two importers to think hard and consider telling the committee everything they know about the shipment.

“You’re lucky unlike in China. There’s no death penalty here for importing illegal drugs,” Lacson told Chen, whose firm Hong Fei Logistics was the registered origin of the drugs contained in steel cylinders as well as the recipient in its local office in Valenzuela City.

Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III signed the detention order, saying the two testified “falsely and evasively” before the committee.