Subic Customs men suspended
The Office of the Ombudsman has ordered the preventive suspension of a ranking Bureau of Customs (BOC) official for the illegal release of 16 luxury vehicles from the Subic Bay Freeport Zone, while another six were meted the same penalty for alleged involvement in various corrupt acts.
In a nine-page order, Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez said Deputy District Collector Priscilla Cordova should be suspended for six months pending investigation on her supposed involvement in the smuggling of imported vehicles at the Port of Subic.
The case stemmed from a complaint filed by a certain Alonso Dominguez with the BOC, which alleged that Cordova allowed the release of the luxury vehicles without collecting necessary import duties and taxes from the consignee, Hidemitsu Trading Corp.
Gutierrez said the presence of Cordova’s name and signature in the certificates of payment for the vehicles “brings forth the prima facie presumption that she had deliberately made a misrepresentation by making it appear that the taxes due on the subject vehicles were paid when, in truth and in fact, it was not.”
In another 13-page order, Gutierrez also ordered the six-month suspension of Gregorio Magat, Customs operations officer at the Port of Manila, and his wife, Nieves, an executive assistant at the Department of Finance (DOF), for “dishonesty, grave misconduct and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service.”
Assistant Ombudsman Mark Jalandoni, of the Field Investigation Office (OMB-FIO), said they found that Magat joined the BOC in 1976 as a bonded warehouse inspector with an annual salary of P6,552.
It was learned that his gross annual income rose to P2,376,770 from 1992 to 2005 after he was promoted to operations office V with an annual salary of P230,016.
His wife, on the other hand, joined the DOF as a steno-typist in 1964 and was promoted to executive assistant IV with an annual salary of P261,372.
But based on her service record, her annual income from 1992 to 2005 was P2,698,186.
It was also learned that the Civil Service Commission (CSC) and the OMB does not have a record of Magat’s Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN) from the start of his government service to 2005. His wife submitted her SALNs only for the years 1992, 1993 and 1995 to 2005.
In her SALNs, Nieves declared two houses and lots in Las Piñas City and a house and lot in Muntinlupa City, a Toyota Revo GLX (XPG-525), and an Isuzu Crosswind (XLX-825).
Three other cars were declared in her SALNs but verification with the LTO yielded negative results.
However, it was found that there are other properties registered in the name of the respondents which were not declared in her SALNs, including a house and lot and a residential lot in Parañaque City, a house and lot in Ayala Alabang, Muntinlupa City, and a 2005 Isuzu Crosswind.
The FIO also discovered that the Magats have been the beneficial user of two housing units in Parañaque City as evidenced by Meralco billings under Nieves’ name.
Based on the National Statistics Office (NSO) Index from 1992 to 2005, the total expenses incurred by the respondents’ family during the period amounted to P1,713,409.15.
Also suspended was Victor Barros, Customs special agent at the Port of Manila, for allegedly acquiring wealth disproportionate to his lawful income.
Investigation revealed that respondent and his wife acquired assets with a total value of P10,703,000 from 1981 to 2002, consisting of four houses and lots, eight cars, two parcels of land, and two apartments.
Barros is only receiving at present an annual gross income of P125,304 while his wife has no declared fixed or regular income.
The Ombudsman also issued a seven-page order for the suspension of Dionisito Valles, Customs examiner; Nicolas Bejar, principal examiner; and Virgilio Vergara, principal appraiser, all of the Formal Entry Division of the BOC office in Manila.
In the complaint filed by the DOF-RIPS, it was alleged that the three accused conspired to release a shipment of 960 containers that were declared as “used vehicle replacement parts.”
Upon inspection, however, it was revealed that the shipment contained six used motorcycles, 179 used tires, four high-beam suspensions, five used axles, 12 used compressors, 10 used starters, and a Suzuki chassis. By Edu Punay - PhilStar
In a nine-page order, Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez said Deputy District Collector Priscilla Cordova should be suspended for six months pending investigation on her supposed involvement in the smuggling of imported vehicles at the Port of Subic.
The case stemmed from a complaint filed by a certain Alonso Dominguez with the BOC, which alleged that Cordova allowed the release of the luxury vehicles without collecting necessary import duties and taxes from the consignee, Hidemitsu Trading Corp.
Gutierrez said the presence of Cordova’s name and signature in the certificates of payment for the vehicles “brings forth the prima facie presumption that she had deliberately made a misrepresentation by making it appear that the taxes due on the subject vehicles were paid when, in truth and in fact, it was not.”
In another 13-page order, Gutierrez also ordered the six-month suspension of Gregorio Magat, Customs operations officer at the Port of Manila, and his wife, Nieves, an executive assistant at the Department of Finance (DOF), for “dishonesty, grave misconduct and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service.”
Assistant Ombudsman Mark Jalandoni, of the Field Investigation Office (OMB-FIO), said they found that Magat joined the BOC in 1976 as a bonded warehouse inspector with an annual salary of P6,552.
It was learned that his gross annual income rose to P2,376,770 from 1992 to 2005 after he was promoted to operations office V with an annual salary of P230,016.
His wife, on the other hand, joined the DOF as a steno-typist in 1964 and was promoted to executive assistant IV with an annual salary of P261,372.
But based on her service record, her annual income from 1992 to 2005 was P2,698,186.
It was also learned that the Civil Service Commission (CSC) and the OMB does not have a record of Magat’s Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN) from the start of his government service to 2005. His wife submitted her SALNs only for the years 1992, 1993 and 1995 to 2005.
In her SALNs, Nieves declared two houses and lots in Las Piñas City and a house and lot in Muntinlupa City, a Toyota Revo GLX (XPG-525), and an Isuzu Crosswind (XLX-825).
Three other cars were declared in her SALNs but verification with the LTO yielded negative results.
However, it was found that there are other properties registered in the name of the respondents which were not declared in her SALNs, including a house and lot and a residential lot in Parañaque City, a house and lot in Ayala Alabang, Muntinlupa City, and a 2005 Isuzu Crosswind.
The FIO also discovered that the Magats have been the beneficial user of two housing units in Parañaque City as evidenced by Meralco billings under Nieves’ name.
Based on the National Statistics Office (NSO) Index from 1992 to 2005, the total expenses incurred by the respondents’ family during the period amounted to P1,713,409.15.
Also suspended was Victor Barros, Customs special agent at the Port of Manila, for allegedly acquiring wealth disproportionate to his lawful income.
Investigation revealed that respondent and his wife acquired assets with a total value of P10,703,000 from 1981 to 2002, consisting of four houses and lots, eight cars, two parcels of land, and two apartments.
Barros is only receiving at present an annual gross income of P125,304 while his wife has no declared fixed or regular income.
The Ombudsman also issued a seven-page order for the suspension of Dionisito Valles, Customs examiner; Nicolas Bejar, principal examiner; and Virgilio Vergara, principal appraiser, all of the Formal Entry Division of the BOC office in Manila.
In the complaint filed by the DOF-RIPS, it was alleged that the three accused conspired to release a shipment of 960 containers that were declared as “used vehicle replacement parts.”
Upon inspection, however, it was revealed that the shipment contained six used motorcycles, 179 used tires, four high-beam suspensions, five used axles, 12 used compressors, 10 used starters, and a Suzuki chassis. By Edu Punay - PhilStar
Labels: car smuggling, subic
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