PASG clears Arroyos on smuggling ‘links’ sans probe
Without having subjected them to an investigation as it probably deems it was no longer needed, the Presidential Anti-Smuggling Group (PASG) yesterday cleared the First Family outright from reports of being involved in smuggling, a persisting national problem that the government is said to be trying to curb.
During an interview with reporters, PASG chief Antonio Villar refuted allegations made by opposition Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson the other day that some protectors of smugglers are enjoying close ties with the members of President Arroyo’s family.
Villar said some smugglers are merely using the name of the President and the members of her family to be able to undertake their illegal activities and that there is no evidence to show the First Family is protecting smugglers.
On Monday, Lacson scoffed at the government’s publicized destruction of seized luxury cars at the Subic Freeport in Zambales, saying it would have been better if Mrs. Arroyo cleaned her own backyard of the biggest vehicle smugglers in the country.
“Car smuggling has worsened at Subic and Clark since the President took office. The destruction of the smuggled vehicles, albeit graphic, was just all for show. What she has to do is crack down on her cronies responsible for this,” Lacson said.
“She might not know it but the biggest smuggler is in her close circle of friends. I have checked all the records regarding smuggling at Subic and Clark (in Pampanga) and only one name has emerged, one that is very close to the President,” the senator said, proceeding to name one “alias Romy” as the one he was referring to.
Lacson said “alias Romy” was a veritable “untouchable” to the Bureau of Customs (BoC) due to his connection to Malacañang.
Villar said he knew the person Lacson referred to as “alias Romy,” but stressed the PAGC has yet to get evidence to pin him down on alleged involvement in smuggling.
He again said that person may have just been name-dropping and was using the First Family to get away with his smuggling activity.
“We know him (alias Romy) but the problem is, we have no evidence against him. We are tracing his warehouse already. A lot of smugglers are using the name of the President and her family for their illegal activity. This is just a pure case of name-dropping,” Villar said.
The PASG chief furthermore dared Lacson to bare the identity or identities of the purported smugglers at Subic and Clark and to present evidence of his claims.
“I urge our good senator (Lacson) to name names and submit evidence so we can have some basis. It is hard to comment on anything without the proper evidence,” Villar said.
Also last Monday, Lacson’s colleague, Sen. Richard Gordon, said smuggling was thriving in Subic and Clark due largely to personalities that enjoy close links with Mrs. Arroyo.
Gordon alleged that one of the biggest smugglers operating in Subic was a congressman who was “very, very close to the President.”
At the same time, Villar also expressed frustration over the BoC’s alleged non-cooperation in the PASG’s probe of the bureau’s officials and employees.
He said the BoC has refused to heed the PASG’s request for it to provide the anti-smuggling body documents it needed in the investigation such as the list of seized smuggled cargoes and items.
“It is just unfortunate that the BoC is not cooperating. We asked for the documents a month ago and until now the BoC is not responding to our request,” Villar said.
In a press conference in Malacañang last Sunday, the PASG bared it was investigating more than a hundred officials and employees of the BoC on suspicion of conniving with smugglers of luxury vehicles into the country.
Villar, however, refused to immediately name the BoC officials and personnel but said if their involvement in smuggling activities were proved, they will be charged with violating the Customs’ Code, the anti-fraud law and slapped with administrative and criminal cases.
He said since January the PASG has seized P300-million worth of smuggled items. He said the government loses P50-60 billion annually due to smuggling.
He said reports reaching his office say corrupt BoC officials are paid P5,000 for every 20-foot container van and P10,000 for every 40-foot container van that they allow through Customs unchecked.
In displaying its “seriousness” in its anti-smuggling campaign, the government has been bandying through the media its purported successes and efforts to curb the illegal activity, the most recent of which is its publicized destruction of seized smuggled cars at the Subic Freeport in Subic, Zambales last week.
The Palace said the destruction of several “hot” cars was being done so that unscrupulous Customs or government officials would no longer be able to get their hands on them to personally use or profit from illegally selling them.
On Thursday last week, 32 cars were lined up for destruction but after 18 cars were crushed by backhoes at the Customs warehouse at Subic, the government ordered a sudden halt to the activity.
The order came apparently after a consignee of the 14 spared luxury vehicles — which included a Lamborghini, a Ferrari, two Porsches and a BMW – sought a reconsideration of the decision to forfeit the cars because the vehicles were allegedly legitimately brought into the country as supported by the necessary papers and that their taxes had been paid.
Lacson said he would push for a Senate inquiry into the smuggling activities at Subic and Clark.
Sherwin C. Olaes - Daily tribune
During an interview with reporters, PASG chief Antonio Villar refuted allegations made by opposition Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson the other day that some protectors of smugglers are enjoying close ties with the members of President Arroyo’s family.
Villar said some smugglers are merely using the name of the President and the members of her family to be able to undertake their illegal activities and that there is no evidence to show the First Family is protecting smugglers.
On Monday, Lacson scoffed at the government’s publicized destruction of seized luxury cars at the Subic Freeport in Zambales, saying it would have been better if Mrs. Arroyo cleaned her own backyard of the biggest vehicle smugglers in the country.
“Car smuggling has worsened at Subic and Clark since the President took office. The destruction of the smuggled vehicles, albeit graphic, was just all for show. What she has to do is crack down on her cronies responsible for this,” Lacson said.
“She might not know it but the biggest smuggler is in her close circle of friends. I have checked all the records regarding smuggling at Subic and Clark (in Pampanga) and only one name has emerged, one that is very close to the President,” the senator said, proceeding to name one “alias Romy” as the one he was referring to.
Lacson said “alias Romy” was a veritable “untouchable” to the Bureau of Customs (BoC) due to his connection to Malacañang.
Villar said he knew the person Lacson referred to as “alias Romy,” but stressed the PAGC has yet to get evidence to pin him down on alleged involvement in smuggling.
He again said that person may have just been name-dropping and was using the First Family to get away with his smuggling activity.
“We know him (alias Romy) but the problem is, we have no evidence against him. We are tracing his warehouse already. A lot of smugglers are using the name of the President and her family for their illegal activity. This is just a pure case of name-dropping,” Villar said.
The PASG chief furthermore dared Lacson to bare the identity or identities of the purported smugglers at Subic and Clark and to present evidence of his claims.
“I urge our good senator (Lacson) to name names and submit evidence so we can have some basis. It is hard to comment on anything without the proper evidence,” Villar said.
Also last Monday, Lacson’s colleague, Sen. Richard Gordon, said smuggling was thriving in Subic and Clark due largely to personalities that enjoy close links with Mrs. Arroyo.
Gordon alleged that one of the biggest smugglers operating in Subic was a congressman who was “very, very close to the President.”
At the same time, Villar also expressed frustration over the BoC’s alleged non-cooperation in the PASG’s probe of the bureau’s officials and employees.
He said the BoC has refused to heed the PASG’s request for it to provide the anti-smuggling body documents it needed in the investigation such as the list of seized smuggled cargoes and items.
“It is just unfortunate that the BoC is not cooperating. We asked for the documents a month ago and until now the BoC is not responding to our request,” Villar said.
In a press conference in Malacañang last Sunday, the PASG bared it was investigating more than a hundred officials and employees of the BoC on suspicion of conniving with smugglers of luxury vehicles into the country.
Villar, however, refused to immediately name the BoC officials and personnel but said if their involvement in smuggling activities were proved, they will be charged with violating the Customs’ Code, the anti-fraud law and slapped with administrative and criminal cases.
He said since January the PASG has seized P300-million worth of smuggled items. He said the government loses P50-60 billion annually due to smuggling.
He said reports reaching his office say corrupt BoC officials are paid P5,000 for every 20-foot container van and P10,000 for every 40-foot container van that they allow through Customs unchecked.
In displaying its “seriousness” in its anti-smuggling campaign, the government has been bandying through the media its purported successes and efforts to curb the illegal activity, the most recent of which is its publicized destruction of seized smuggled cars at the Subic Freeport in Subic, Zambales last week.
The Palace said the destruction of several “hot” cars was being done so that unscrupulous Customs or government officials would no longer be able to get their hands on them to personally use or profit from illegally selling them.
On Thursday last week, 32 cars were lined up for destruction but after 18 cars were crushed by backhoes at the Customs warehouse at Subic, the government ordered a sudden halt to the activity.
The order came apparently after a consignee of the 14 spared luxury vehicles — which included a Lamborghini, a Ferrari, two Porsches and a BMW – sought a reconsideration of the decision to forfeit the cars because the vehicles were allegedly legitimately brought into the country as supported by the necessary papers and that their taxes had been paid.
Lacson said he would push for a Senate inquiry into the smuggling activities at Subic and Clark.
Sherwin C. Olaes - Daily tribune
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