Seized goods not smuggled - Customs

The Bureau of Customs at the Subic freeport zone clarified yesterday that the seven container vans recently confiscated by Task Force Aduana along the Gapan-Olongapo Road in Dinalupihan, Bataan did not contain any hot goods.

This came as Chairman Felicito Payumo of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) reiterated that his administration has been very cooperative with other agencies in stopping smuggling through the freeport.

Payumo stressed that there were more apprehensions of smuggled goods under his administration than during the tenure of his predecessor.

In a report to Customs Commissioner Renato Ampil, acting Subic Customs Collector Arifeles Carreon said the seized vans bearing taxable items passed through the regular Customs procedures, which includes payment of duties and taxes.

Carreon added that one container van bearing data communication cables, which was manufactured by Subic-British investor BICC Brand-Rex and consigned to Brand-Rex Australia, was a legal export shipment.

He stressed that "Task Force Aduana was convinced that it is an export shipment," and that it ordered the release of the Brand-Rex shipment on the very day it was taken to Camp Aguinaldo.

Customs guard Nahum Rustia, who was assigned to escort the Brand- Rex shipment, attested that the container van of Brand-Rex with Jardine Aboitiz as broker-forwarder originally consisted of six container vans. The remaining shipment, however, was "mistakenly intercepted by TF Aduana with other trucks they believed to be carrying smuggled items."

Carreon said that consignees of the six other container vans allegedly containing hot goods had all paid the required duties and taxes.

SBMA Deputy Administrator for Ports Victor Mamon said the Bureau of Customs allowed the release of the vans from Subic after the cargoes were checked and accompanied with proper documents and the duties and taxes were paid.

Mamon also explained that it is the Bureau of Customs and not the SBMA that determines the taxes and duties to be paid.

This came as an executive of Brand Rex protested the STAR article on the seizure of the van for creating the impression that Brand-Rex is the consignee of the seized goods that were allegedly illegally withdrawn from economic zones.

Keith Rennie, Brand-Rex general manager, stressed that his company exports finished cables to their clients in Asia, Europe and some parts of America, so Brand-Rex could not possibly be the consignee of the seized van.

Rennie also clarified that all importations or exportations by his firm are facilitated by Jardine-Aboitiz, Inc. and not by a certain Eagle Bay Maritime Services.

He said Brand-Rex has been in the cable-making business for more than three years inside the Subic Bay Free Zone and that it has recently started to expand its factory in preparation for a full-blast operation in the Philippines.

"The company has never been involved, nor has there been any suggestion of involvement, in any irregular activity or violation of the law," Rennie stressed, as he lamented the negative effects of the story on his company. -