Smuggling raps filed vs rice importer

MANILA, Philippines - The Bureau of Customs (BOC) has filed smuggling charges against Silent Royalty Marketing, which was listed as the biggest private rice importer in 2013.

“We can say that this is the biggest rice smuggler in 2013. Before June 2013, it never imported even a single grain of rice. The company did not have any importation record,” Customs Commissioner John Sevilla said yesterday.

Sevilla said Silent Royalty imported 69,000 tons of rice last year, making it the second biggest rice importer after the National Food Authority (NFA).

He said this means the company imported one in every four sacks of rice brought in by a private company.

Sevilla said the bureau was able to confiscate only 16,036 metric tons that arrived from September to November. The NFA did not issue a single import permit for the importations, the BOC learned. The shipment has a dutiable value of P245 million.

Sevilla led the filling of three counts of smuggling before the Department of Justice against Silent Royalty owner Marvin Mendoza. Three cases were filed since the shipments entered the Port of Manila, Manila International Container Port and the Port of Cebu.

The brokers who were hired for the shipment were named as co-respondents.

Mendoza was also charged with 49 counts of violating Section 3601 of the Tariffs and Customs Code of the Philippines and Section 29 of Presidential Decree 4, as amended by Presidential Decree 1485, which state that only the NFA could import rice, and private entities must secure a permit from the agency.