BOC exec denies rice smuggling report

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Philippines – Smuggled rice seized in Mindanao are not sold in Metro Manila and Central Luzon, according to a Bureau of Customs official.

“We strongly deny the report published in The Star that the intercepted sacks of rice are already in the markets of Metro Manila and Central Luzon,” Roswald Joseph Pague, deputy Customs collector for Northern Mindanao, said.

Pague denied the claim of Simeon Sioson, president of the Federation of Central Luzon Farmers Cooperative, that smuggled rice is being coursed through Cagayan de Oro City.

He said the intercepted sacks of rice from Vietnam last November and December are still intact at the Mindanao International Container Port Terminal in Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental.

Pague said there is no record from the Philippine Ports Authority of any shipment of rice from Cagayan de Oro to Manila.

“The report is not true and has no basis… we wanted that this misinformation to be corrected,” he said.

He said BOC-Region 10 is waiting for the approval by the BOC commissioner of the auction date and price of the intercepted sacks of rice.

Pague said the tentative schedule for auction of the 60 shipping containers of intercepted rice is on Feb. 11 and 12.