Dominic Sytin, president of United Auctioneers Inc. (UAI), the biggest auction company in the country, said his office has been deluged with calls from customers asking if the scheduled unreserved auction of trucks, cranes, tractors, bulldozers and various construction equipment and passenger vehicles will push through on March 12 to 14.
"Many have called us from Mindanao and the Visayas asking about the auction. They were worried because of the not-so-good reports that have been coming out in the papers lately," he said.
Contrary to the reports, Sytin said the auction of imported used equipment and vehicles is completely legal and moral.
"We pay importation taxes and comply with safety and environmental laws. The vehicles we auction all pass through the strict inspection of the Land Transportation Office for roadworthiness and safety. And they have all been given certificates of emission standard compliance," he said.
Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) chairman Felicito Payumo has affirmed the legality of auctions.
He was quoted in newspapers as saying that "under existing laws, the importation of such vehicles is allowed since these vehicles have been classified as liberalized."
According to Sytin, his company’s auction has become a totally distinct industry employing more than 5,000 people.
UAI, for instance, has 1,000 employees working at the Subic Freeport. These workers ensure that all equipment and vehicles offered for auction are completely safe and of good quality.
Some 200 other employees work in its sprawling Malinta (Valenzuela) and Meycauayan (Bulacan) auction sites.
Sytin, however, said the general public remains the biggest beneficiary of auctions. "At the auctions, everybody – from the rich down to the poor– has the same chance of buying a good quality equipment at a very good price. That’s why we normally get 1,500 buyers every auction day," he said.
He added that auctions benefit the government, too, not only in terms of revenue from taxes. "Many of our buyers are local government units from far-flung provinces. They have discovered that through the auctions, they can make better use of their limited funds," he said.