Ex-PASG chief defends agency's existence

DAGUPAN CITY, Philippines  – In the face of President Aquino’s move to abolish the Presidential Anti-Smuggling Group (PASG), its former chief Antonio Villar Jr. said the agency significantly minimized smuggling despite its limited resources.

“PASG did its best by significantly minimizing smuggling even with only few manpower and limited budget,” said Villar, now chairman of the Dangerous Drugs Board. President Aquino earlier hinted that PASG, formed by former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, might be abolished for failing to stop smuggling.                                                                     

Villar said, however, that the PASG has limited power against smuggling. “Don’t expect PASG to stop smuggling when we were not even allowed to enter inside the ports,” he said.                     

He pointed out that smugglers still managed to get past Customs officers, who are supposed to be the government’s first line of defense against smuggling.

He said Mr. Aquino’s advisers should check the accomplishments of the PASG before recommending its abolishment.                                                                                  

He noted that the agency made a P4.2-billion drug bust in Subic, as well as a diamond bust that led to the arrest of Siu Ting Alpha Kwok, also known as the Diamond Queen, who allegedly smuggled P500-million worth of the gems into the country.                                                                                       

Villar also said the PASG seized illegal imported meat, luxury vehicles, and agricultural products worth billions of pesos.                                                                                          

“With all the commendations given to PASG by various chambers of commerce for our bold actions to curb smuggling in the country, it’s saddening to hear negative comments against it,” he said.

He said the PASG has an annual budget of only P50 million and only 100 personnel deployed nationwide against the Bureau of Custom’s 4,000 deployed all over the country. 

“Yet we didn’t complain and we did our task honestly and fairly. Our accomplishments would speak for our agency,” he said.

He said the abolition of the PASG is expected under the Aquino administration.

The PASG, created in May 2007 through Executive Order 624, is mandated to apprehend, seize, investigate and prosecute acts involving smuggling, unlawful importation and similar violations.                                                                   

Villar said if government agencies mandated to be at the forefront of stopping smuggling are doing their jobs honestly, there would have been no need to create the PASG. He also said it is impossible to eliminate smuggling absolutely.                                                                                  

“To totally stop smuggling is like stopping prostitution,” said Villar.