Taiwan firm faces economic sabotage raps

MANILA, Philippines - The Presidential Anti-Smuggling Group said yesterday is set to file charges of economic sabotage against a Taiwanese bathroom fixtures manufacturer after the PASG found it allegedly melted down Philippine coins to use in its products.

In a statement, PASG chief Antonio Villar said they will file charges against the owners of Ming Tsun Liang Inc. PASG operatives raided the firm’s warehouse at the MGM Compound in Sitio Gitna, Caloocan City last week and found five kilos of mutilated 25-centavo coins, bronze scraps and finished bronze and brass fixtures.

“Traces of melted coins were very evident in the place,” Villar said.

He identified the owner and president of the company as Taiwanese national Ming Tsung Liang. Another Taiwanese, Jui Chiung Liang, is the treasurer while the incorporators are Evangeline Aquino, Redelyn Go and Susan Baquiran Go.

Villar said they will be charged with “defacing/mutilating and smuggling of Philippine coins which are punishable by law under Presidential Decree 247, BSP (Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas) Circular 98, Series of 1995 and violation of Section 2, Article 164 of the Revised Penal Code of the Philippines.”

He said the crime “is tantamount to economic sabotage, for the Philippine government is spending more than the actual amount to produce 25-centavo and one-peso coins.

“The owners did not just disregard the Philippine laws, they insulted our country and sabotaged our economy by melting the coins to produce industrial spare parts,” Villar said.

The BSP sued the same firm in 2005 after it was allegedly found melting coins in the Cavite Economic Zone. The charges were dismissed due to technicalities.

“This is the second time this company was raided for being recalcitrant in wantonly violating existing laws on the matter,” Villar said.

The PASG has turned over to the BSP all the mutilated coins, bronze scraps and fixtures to have their metal content analyzed.

Last August, the PASG-National Bureau of Investigation Special Operations Group foiled an attempt by a syndicate believed connected with the Taiwanese firm to smuggle some P300 million worth of assorted local coins out to Korea and Taiwan, reportedly to be used in the manufacture of assorted industrial spare parts.

The PASG said the bulk of the seized coins came from some commercial banks thru the help of some bank employees believed to be members of the syndicate, reportedly run by South Koreans.