Gov’t losing P65B annually to smuggling--PASG chief
The government is losing P65 billion annually from smuggling alone, the head of the Presidential Anti-Smuggling Task Force Group (PASG) disclosed in a hearing at the House of Representatives Wednesday.
PASG chief Antonio Villar also identified at the session of the committee on good government the five most smuggled items in the country -- oil, resins, iron, cars, and general merchandising.
“As per record, our losses [from] smuggling is P65 billion, for smuggling alone,” Villar said, replying to questions from Deputy Minority Floor Leader Roilo Golez.
The PASG chief said they have the names of the smugglers but refused to identify them. But he added that his office had submitted the names to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
For car smuggling, for instance, Villar said they had identified six persons, all based in Cebu.
“All these cars that are being registered here in Manila [are] usually coming from Cebu,” he said.
“[And it’s] very alarming your honor that even the chassis can be registered as a whole. Kotse na yun [It’s already a car] when in fact, they’re just paying for the parts alone,” he pointed out.
Asked if the suspected smugglers were in cahoots with any government official, the PASG chief they had received information on that but have no “direct evidence” to confirm it.
“We don’t have any direct evidence but yes, we’ve [received such reports],” he said.
Villar said some smuggled items like oil products came from Singapore, Malaysia, and China. The resin also comes from Singapore.
Villar finally attended the House hearing after snubbing initial summons, pushing lawmakers to threaten him with arrest.
He was called by the legislators following his claims to media that some of the lawmakers were involved in smuggling.
Zambales Representative Ma. Milagros Magsaysay and Albay Representative Al Francis Bichara confronted Villar, who immediately denied that he had called the lady lawmaker or any member of the House a smuggler or protector, and claimed he was misquoted.
"I never accused you. Those are very libelous, those are very grave and serious [accusations]," the PASG chief said, responding to Magsaysay's query.
Villar said he would not accuse anyone, especially congressmen, of anything without evidence.
Bichara chided Villar for calling him names in the media after he was implicated as the owner of one of the hot cars confiscated during one of the PASG operations.
At the start of the hearing, Pangasinan Representative Mark Cojuangco appealed to his colleagues in the committee to give Villar the "courtesy and due respect" accorded to House resource persons.
Cojuangco admitted that he had advised the PASG chief to attend the House inquiry if only to defuse any tension on the issue.
"He [Villar] has no intention to spite the power of the House, of this committee ... My hope is that we could defuse the tensions that we've raised," the lawmaker said.
Villar had repeatedly snubbed the inquiry being conducted by the committee on good government and had even threatened to resign his post, accusing some legislators of harassment.
But this did not stop the House from insisting on Villar's presence at the inquiry, with even Speaker Prospero Nograles expressing his readiness to sign a subpoena to compel the official's attendance. By Maila Ager = INQUIRER.net
PASG chief Antonio Villar also identified at the session of the committee on good government the five most smuggled items in the country -- oil, resins, iron, cars, and general merchandising.
“As per record, our losses [from] smuggling is P65 billion, for smuggling alone,” Villar said, replying to questions from Deputy Minority Floor Leader Roilo Golez.
The PASG chief said they have the names of the smugglers but refused to identify them. But he added that his office had submitted the names to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
For car smuggling, for instance, Villar said they had identified six persons, all based in Cebu.
“All these cars that are being registered here in Manila [are] usually coming from Cebu,” he said.
“[And it’s] very alarming your honor that even the chassis can be registered as a whole. Kotse na yun [It’s already a car] when in fact, they’re just paying for the parts alone,” he pointed out.
Asked if the suspected smugglers were in cahoots with any government official, the PASG chief they had received information on that but have no “direct evidence” to confirm it.
“We don’t have any direct evidence but yes, we’ve [received such reports],” he said.
Villar said some smuggled items like oil products came from Singapore, Malaysia, and China. The resin also comes from Singapore.
Villar finally attended the House hearing after snubbing initial summons, pushing lawmakers to threaten him with arrest.
He was called by the legislators following his claims to media that some of the lawmakers were involved in smuggling.
Zambales Representative Ma. Milagros Magsaysay and Albay Representative Al Francis Bichara confronted Villar, who immediately denied that he had called the lady lawmaker or any member of the House a smuggler or protector, and claimed he was misquoted.
"I never accused you. Those are very libelous, those are very grave and serious [accusations]," the PASG chief said, responding to Magsaysay's query.
Villar said he would not accuse anyone, especially congressmen, of anything without evidence.
Bichara chided Villar for calling him names in the media after he was implicated as the owner of one of the hot cars confiscated during one of the PASG operations.
At the start of the hearing, Pangasinan Representative Mark Cojuangco appealed to his colleagues in the committee to give Villar the "courtesy and due respect" accorded to House resource persons.
Cojuangco admitted that he had advised the PASG chief to attend the House inquiry if only to defuse any tension on the issue.
"He [Villar] has no intention to spite the power of the House, of this committee ... My hope is that we could defuse the tensions that we've raised," the lawmaker said.
Villar had repeatedly snubbed the inquiry being conducted by the committee on good government and had even threatened to resign his post, accusing some legislators of harassment.
But this did not stop the House from insisting on Villar's presence at the inquiry, with even Speaker Prospero Nograles expressing his readiness to sign a subpoena to compel the official's attendance. By Maila Ager = INQUIRER.net
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