PASG files smuggling charges against Albay lawmaker

MANILA, Philippines - The Presidential Anti-Smuggling Group (PASG) has filed charges of smuggling and falsification of documents against Albay Rep. Al Francis Bichara, who allegedly brought into the country several luxury vehicles without paying taxes.

PASG chief Undersecretary Antonio Villar said Bichara was charged for committing unlawful importation under Sections 3601 and 3602 of the Tariff and Customs Code of the Philippines; falsification of official documents, use of falsified documents under the Revised Penal Code; illegal transfer of plate under Land Transportation Office rules and regulations; as violation of the law on code of conduct of public officials.

The complaints were filed before the Department of Justice on Monday.

The charges were triggered by Bichara’s presentation of documents in claiming four of his luxury vehicles seized by PASG and the National Bureau of Iinvestigation at Auto Sport Corporation Repair Shop along Pasong Tamo, Makati City in December 2007.

PASG investigators detected discrepancies and alterations in the face of some of the documents produced by Bichara.

Suspecting the presented documents were questionable, Villar requested a certification from the Bureau of Customs on said vehicles. It was disco­vered that one of the vehicles has “no records on file” which the BOC said that might be due to “fake certificate of payment.”

It can be recalled that the operation conducted by PASG on Auto Sport Corporation resulted in the seizure of more than 80 high-end vehicles.

Bichara claimed he owned the four high-end vehicles and were for repair at Auto Sport.

The vehicles owned by Bichara were a Jaguar, a Volvo and two Cherokee Jeeps.