New case of Car smuggling in Poro Point & Subic bared by Gordon
By Patricia Esteves, MT Reporter
SOME 400 smuggled used right hand-drive motor vehicles from Korea were spotted at the Poro Point Development Corp., Sen. Richard Gordon disclosed.
Gordon was informed by Poro Point authorities that M/V Win Bright was unloaded with right hand-drive motor vehicles from Korea at the port without import permits.
Fifty-six of these vehicles were allegedly unloaded in Poro Point, La Union, and the rest were dropped at the Subic Bay Freeport Zone.
“This is another brazen attempt at smuggling vehicles into the country despite ongoing investigations regarding the matter and a pending resolution on the issue at the Supreme Court,” Gordon said in a statement.
“Imagine the audacity of these smugglers who seem to not have any fear of the law, that they find every means possible and move from port to port, if necessary, to engage in these illegal activities that are obviously very profitable for them but detrimental to our country,” Gordon said. He added:
“We ask our people to pay more taxes with the expanded value-added tax, but a powerful few are growing rich by breaking the law, and laughing all the way to the bank!”
According to Gordon, Juanito Antonio and Tony Manguiat, president and vice president, respectively, of the Poro Point Development Corp., refused to issue entry permits for the vehicles upon their arrival because the shipment did not have import documentation.
Despite this, however, the importers managed to obtain a court order to release the cars, Gordon said.
“How could a court issue an order when Poro Point has jurisdiction over what should enter into the port? Even in a free port, the port administration has power to control entry of goods in accordance with its development goals. This is something that should be studied,” he noted.
Gordon said that the government has already lost billions of pesos in revenues as a result of smuggling, and now stands to lose some more.
“If our own officials will allow ‘cash-unduan’ that is rampant in this business, particularly in Subic, to continue, the government and our people will lose at least P200 million from this one shipment of cars alone,” Gordon said
SOME 400 smuggled used right hand-drive motor vehicles from Korea were spotted at the Poro Point Development Corp., Sen. Richard Gordon disclosed.
Gordon was informed by Poro Point authorities that M/V Win Bright was unloaded with right hand-drive motor vehicles from Korea at the port without import permits.
Fifty-six of these vehicles were allegedly unloaded in Poro Point, La Union, and the rest were dropped at the Subic Bay Freeport Zone.
“This is another brazen attempt at smuggling vehicles into the country despite ongoing investigations regarding the matter and a pending resolution on the issue at the Supreme Court,” Gordon said in a statement.
“Imagine the audacity of these smugglers who seem to not have any fear of the law, that they find every means possible and move from port to port, if necessary, to engage in these illegal activities that are obviously very profitable for them but detrimental to our country,” Gordon said. He added:
“We ask our people to pay more taxes with the expanded value-added tax, but a powerful few are growing rich by breaking the law, and laughing all the way to the bank!”
According to Gordon, Juanito Antonio and Tony Manguiat, president and vice president, respectively, of the Poro Point Development Corp., refused to issue entry permits for the vehicles upon their arrival because the shipment did not have import documentation.
Despite this, however, the importers managed to obtain a court order to release the cars, Gordon said.
“How could a court issue an order when Poro Point has jurisdiction over what should enter into the port? Even in a free port, the port administration has power to control entry of goods in accordance with its development goals. This is something that should be studied,” he noted.
Gordon said that the government has already lost billions of pesos in revenues as a result of smuggling, and now stands to lose some more.
“If our own officials will allow ‘cash-unduan’ that is rampant in this business, particularly in Subic, to continue, the government and our people will lose at least P200 million from this one shipment of cars alone,” Gordon said
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