Smuggling case filed vs. Teves, execs
on April 10, 2007, the first shipment of the five units of imported generator sets and three units of transformers from Singapore-based Aggreko Pte Ltd. by the NPC Alliance Corp. arrived at the Subic Free Port in Zambales.
A multimillion-peso large-scale and syndicated smuggling suit was filed on Thursday against Finance Secretary Margarito Teves for allegedly causing the government to lose at least P373 million in tax revenues.
Complainant Ruben Anthony Frogoso, an intelligence officer at the Department of Finance’s Central Management Information Office, sued Teves and other high-ranking officials at the Department of Finance for allegedly granting a tax-free importation permit to a large shipment of generator sets after it was already seized by the Bureau of Customs.
Frogoso alleged that on April 10, 2007, the first shipment of the five units of imported generator sets and three units of transformers from Singapore-based Aggreko Pte Ltd. by the NPC Alliance Corp. arrived at the Subic Free Port in Zambales.
Upon the arrival of the shipment and the filing of entry, the Customs bureau found that it was grossly undervalued at 98 percent discrepancy.
The bureau immediately ordered the seizure of the shipment. NPC Alliance, however, asked Finance to grant them a tax-free importation permit. The request was granted, thus, depriving the government of P373 million in tax revenues, Frogoso said.
The complainant added that the redemption value of the shipment and the issuance of tax exemption by the Department of Finance are illegal since the cargo was already seized and impounded.
Despite the harassments and threats from Teves and other department officials, Frogoso said, he decided to file a complaint, since he could no longer just ignore “the anomalies and corrupt practices committed by the same people who should protect the institutions they lead and safeguard the public’s interests against graft and corruption.”
“I could no longer stomach what is going on in our department, and I am ready to face all the consequences of my actions in the interest of the public,” Frogoso said.
“We should stop all these corrupt practices which are tearing our nation and people,” he added.
Frogoso, who said he is willing to bring his case even up to the Supreme Court, also called on President Gloria Arroyo to act on the matter.
“The government is trying to increase its revenues and cases like this should not be allowed,” he told reporters during an interview. “I also believe the President will not tolerate this to happen.”
The Manila Times sought Teves for reaction, calling him at least eight times. But the Secretary did not answer the reporter’s telephone calls.
Also named as respondents in the 20-page complaint-affidavit filed before the Manila City Prosecutor’s Office were lawyer Gaudencio Mendoza, Finance undersecretary and head of the Revenue Operations Group; lawyer Eleazar Cesista, head of the Revenue Express Lane; lawyer Rowena Salido, assistant chief of the Customs and Tariffs Division and supervisory tax specialist; Elizabeth Santos, senior tax specialist; Karim Khatami, finance officer of NPC Alliance Corp.; and Rowena Farin, general manager of Globelink Brokerage Services.
The large-scale and syndicated smuggling suit against Teves and others constitutes economic sabotage or violation of Section 3601 in relation to Sections 3602 and 3604 of Republic Act 1937, or the Tariff and Customs Code of the Philippines, and violation of Section 3 of R.A. 3019, or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act
By Rommel C. Lontayao, Manila Times
Complainant Ruben Anthony Frogoso, an intelligence officer at the Department of Finance’s Central Management Information Office, sued Teves and other high-ranking officials at the Department of Finance for allegedly granting a tax-free importation permit to a large shipment of generator sets after it was already seized by the Bureau of Customs.
Frogoso alleged that on April 10, 2007, the first shipment of the five units of imported generator sets and three units of transformers from Singapore-based Aggreko Pte Ltd. by the NPC Alliance Corp. arrived at the Subic Free Port in Zambales.
Upon the arrival of the shipment and the filing of entry, the Customs bureau found that it was grossly undervalued at 98 percent discrepancy.
The bureau immediately ordered the seizure of the shipment. NPC Alliance, however, asked Finance to grant them a tax-free importation permit. The request was granted, thus, depriving the government of P373 million in tax revenues, Frogoso said.
The complainant added that the redemption value of the shipment and the issuance of tax exemption by the Department of Finance are illegal since the cargo was already seized and impounded.
Despite the harassments and threats from Teves and other department officials, Frogoso said, he decided to file a complaint, since he could no longer just ignore “the anomalies and corrupt practices committed by the same people who should protect the institutions they lead and safeguard the public’s interests against graft and corruption.”
“I could no longer stomach what is going on in our department, and I am ready to face all the consequences of my actions in the interest of the public,” Frogoso said.
“We should stop all these corrupt practices which are tearing our nation and people,” he added.
Frogoso, who said he is willing to bring his case even up to the Supreme Court, also called on President Gloria Arroyo to act on the matter.
“The government is trying to increase its revenues and cases like this should not be allowed,” he told reporters during an interview. “I also believe the President will not tolerate this to happen.”
The Manila Times sought Teves for reaction, calling him at least eight times. But the Secretary did not answer the reporter’s telephone calls.
Also named as respondents in the 20-page complaint-affidavit filed before the Manila City Prosecutor’s Office were lawyer Gaudencio Mendoza, Finance undersecretary and head of the Revenue Operations Group; lawyer Eleazar Cesista, head of the Revenue Express Lane; lawyer Rowena Salido, assistant chief of the Customs and Tariffs Division and supervisory tax specialist; Elizabeth Santos, senior tax specialist; Karim Khatami, finance officer of NPC Alliance Corp.; and Rowena Farin, general manager of Globelink Brokerage Services.
The large-scale and syndicated smuggling suit against Teves and others constitutes economic sabotage or violation of Section 3601 in relation to Sections 3602 and 3604 of Republic Act 1937, or the Tariff and Customs Code of the Philippines, and violation of Section 3 of R.A. 3019, or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act
By Rommel C. Lontayao, Manila Times
posted by OlongapoCity Zambales at
12:46 PM
1 Comments:
teves should resign or should take a leave of absence in order to prevent a white wash of the case, this is a very serious allegations, he should clear his name if he is really innocent of the charges, but if he is guilty then let the axe fall to where it is due...the filipino people have enough of such kind, corruption is tearing and dividing our nation apart, we should n o longer permit this things to happen, and to the whisleblower keep it up and may your tribe increase..
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Anonymous, at 1/05/2008 11:58 PM
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