BOC freezes Unioil's P2.3-B diesel shipment

Bureau of Customs (BOC) Commissioner Napoleon Morales said yesterday they have placed a total of 46 million liters of diesel owned by Unioil Philippines on hold pending an investigation.

Morales said the four oil shipments, worth P2.3 billion, should remain at the BOC’s Mariveles, Bataan port.

“The reason why we hold the shipments (is) because we are trying to establish the relationship between Oilink International Corp. and Unioil. The shipments will be released after verification… We are checking the documents to establish the link,” he said.

The BOC is studying the importation documents of the two oil firms, which share the same depot.

Morales said Oilink is the subject of an administrative case for refusing to submit to the government’s routine audit of importers last year. He said the BOC also imposed a P2.7-billion penalty on Oilink.

Another BOC official wondered how Unioil, which recently announced a P3 rollback on diesel prices, could do this when four of its shipments are still in the agency’s custody.