Pangasinan backs PASG chief

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan , Philippines  – Members of the provincial board of Pangasinan rallied behind their kabaleyan, Pre-sidential Anti-Smuggling Group (PASG) head Undersecretary Antonio Villar Jr. and extended their full support to him over unfounded cases filed against him and his agency. 

The resolution was passed yesterday during their regular session held here and was authored by sixth district Board Members Alfonso Bince Jr. and Tyrone Agabas, with the rest of the members of the provincial board as co-authors. 

The board came in defense of Villar, their fellow Pangasinense from Sto. Tomas town, and the PASG by citing that this agency and its head are the subject of unfounded criticism and baseless charges before the House of Representatives and even the Ombudsman. 

The resolution said that since its inception in 2007 through EO No. 624, PASG has performed magnificently its reason for existence, busting wide-open smuggling operations and other unlawful operations and similar violations against the Tariff and Customs Code of the Philippines and other customs laws. 

“PASG has become a major income-generating agency contributing P13 billion in duties and taxes,” Bince said.

For his part, Villar thanked his kabaleyans for their unwavering support to him.

“I am very honored for their love and trust in me. Rest assured I will never let them down and shall always live up to their expectations, waving always with pride the banner of Pangasinan in our strides against smuggling in the country,” he said. 

Without fear or favor

Villar told The STAR the attacks against him are orchestrated and meant to discredit him and his agency.

“It’s part of my job. It’s a sign we’re doing well,” he said.

He said those criticizing him are found to have links with suspected smugglers in the country. “They’re hurt and their recourse is to malign us,” he said.

Villar has dared suspended Customs broker Agapito Mendez Jr. to explain discrepancies in the payment of duties and taxes covering his 5,414 import transactions.

Villar said the importations were entered through the warehousing entry scheme where Mendez, president of the Professional Customs Brokers Association of the Philippines Inc., only paid P300,000 in duties and taxes.

If the importation were entered under the consumption entry scheme, Mendez should have settled the duties and taxes in the amount of P1,435,980,000, he said.