Vehicle smugglers close to Arroyo, say senators

By Gil C. Cabacungan Jr. - Inquirer

MANILA, Philippines -- Apparently unimpressed by the destruction of smuggled cars on orders of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo at the Subic Freeport last week, some senators have said it would have been better if the Chief Executive had swept her own backyard to rid the country of its biggest vehicle smugglers.

“She might not know it but the biggest smuggler is in her close circle of friends,” said Senator Panfilo Lacson. “I have checked all the records regarding smuggling at Subic and Clark and only one name has emerged, one that is very close to the President.’’

Lacson said this smuggler, whom he refused to identify, was “untouchable” to the Bureau of Customs (BOC) due to his Malacañang connection.

“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.

Senator Richard Gordon, the founding chair of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority, said that smuggling had gotten worse at Subic and Clark largely because of people close to Arroyo.

Gordon said one of the biggest smugglers operating out of the former American naval base was a “congressman’’ who was “very, very close to the President.’’

“This guy is not just into smuggling cars, he’s also into smuggling other commodities like fuel, alcohol and cigarettes,’’ Gordon said.

Lacson said the inadvertent inclusion of 14 luxury cars in the list of vehicles to be destroyed last week was part of the top smuggler’s plan to control car smuggling at Subic.

“A syndicate is responsible for including even legitimate importers in the vehicle destruction,’’ Lacson said. “The President might have unwittingly been used to help the top smuggler monopolize the entire Subic smuggling ring.’’

Fourteen of 32 vehicles slated for destruction were spared on Thursday while 18 cars, not all of them luxury editions, were destroyed by backhoes at the customs warehouse at Subic.

The consignee of the 14 mostly luxury cars, Hidemitsu Trading Co., filed a motion for reconsideration of the decision to forfeit the cars, saying the vehicles were brought into the country with the proper papers and the taxes were paid.

The cars included a Lamborghini, a Ferrari, two Porsches and a BMW.

Lacson said he would push for a Senate investigation of the smuggling at Subic and Clark.

At the BoC, Commissioner Napoleon Morales Monday said he welcomed Presidential Anti-Smuggling Group chair Antonio Villar Jr.’s exposé of customs officials and employees involved in smuggling.

“I have no problem with that. If he really has evidence against them, then he should show it,” Morales told the Philippine Daily Inquirer in a phone interview.

Morales said Villar and others pointing to bureau insiders as coddlers of smugglers “should back their allegations with solid evidence.”

Morales said his own office was implementing reforms to weed out those involved not only in smuggling but other irregularities.

“Our officials and employees have sworn duties and responsibilities. If they violate them they are held accountable since they are public servants. That’s why we’ve been emphasizing accountability in all our transactions,” Morales said.

He said the BoC’s intensified “Run After The Smugglers” (Rats) program also covered customs officials and employees.

Villar, in a press conference at Malacañang on Sunday, had said the PASG was in the process of “validating” its list of suspected protectors of smugglers from the BoC. He said their number, including BoC examiners, could go over 100 nationwide.

Since January, Villar said, 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.