PASG clears horse trader

THE Presidential Anti-Smuggling Group (PASG) has cleared seven horses imported by Engr. Felizardo Jun Sevilla from Australia, which nearly died of dehydration after the animals were held by the authorities recently for hours at Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA).

PASG deputy director Edmund Arugay apologized to Sevilla, of Quezon City, for the inconvenience and public embarrassment he experienced after the authorities seized the horses, which was consigned under the engineer’s name, Tonight gathered.

Earlier, the Bureau of Customs, through Napoleon Morales, said the shipping documents of Sevilla is in order, pointing out that the U.S.$800 declared value per horse corresponding to the value of the horses jived with those posted on the Internet at the Magic Millions Sales Pty of Australia.

“I did not cause the smuggling of the said horses from Australia to the Philippines,” Sevilla declared.

The former Philracom commissioner deplored that the horses almost died of dehydration after being held for 13 hours in Subic.

Sevilla said he was constrained to dispatch a veterinarian to Subic to care for the animals and have them dextrosed later at their stables to keep them alive and well. “May buhay din ang mga kabayo, at napabayaan sa loob ng Subic,” he stressed.

Stressing that he is a registered horse owner and a bona fide member of the Metropolitan Association of Race Horse Owners (Marho), Sevilla -- a former commissioner of the Philippine Racing Commission -- said it is impossible to slip into the country such thoroughbred horses from Australia. Each horse is assigned an individual computer chip and passbooks which served as their passports.

The passbook contains vital information about the horses including their lineage, even their birth date and birth place.

Besides, Sevilla explained that the sale results of horses could easily be viewed on the Internet, citing as an example the website of the Magic Millions Sales.

Sevilla tossed the blame to kinks in his importation to a local broker, Sir J Express, Inc. which he assigned to attend to the importation of the horses from Australia to the Philippines. He belied any knowledge of transactions made by the broker for the shipment and release of the horses from Australia.

The trader said that he engaged the services of Johnny Tionloc and his son Mark John of the same firm to take care of the processing of their papers, payment of appropriate taxes with the BoC, including the release from the BOC, and to their delivery to his stables.

Sevilla said that he paid the Tionlocs the sum of P258,000 inclusive of the taxes and duties due him for the imported horses as shown in the voucher he showed the authorities.

The horses arrived in Subic last May 19 on board a Federal Express cargo plane at the Subic International Airport until PASG elements apprehended them on suspicion that they had been undervalued to evade higher taxes.

Sevilla bared that he was earlier invited personally by David Chester , managing director of Magic Millions Sales, to take part in the said auction sale of race horses last March 31 to April 2.

Also, he strongly denied any links with the Disconnect Trading as well as with a certain Noah Corpuz, who was earlier reported to be his partner , and trying to facilitate the bribery attempt on some officers at Subic Freeport. By: Efren Montano - Journal online