SBMA, Customs lapses seen in shabu haul
SUBIC BAY FREEPORT—A summary report of the Presidential Anti-Smuggling Group on the seizure of P4 billion worth of shabu here two weeks ago revealed possible lapses on the part of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority and Bureau of Customs in preventing the smuggling of illegal drugs.
The report dated June 5 showed how loose the two government agencies performed their regulatory tasks in this case. At more than 700 kilograms, the haul is so far the biggest seizure of illegal drugs in the country.
The chronology of events cited in the report led PASG officials to ask the following questions:
• Why did the SBMA allow the suspect, Anthony “Anton” Ang, to enter the wharf on the Ship Repair Facility (SRF), park his car just across the vessel carrying his cargoes and load boxes to his car when the wharf was a restricted area?
Ang was seen there at past 8 p.m. on Sunday, May 25.
• Why did SBMA give Ang at least two chances to present import documents, virtually allowing him to flee?
• Why did the SBMA not open and inspect Ang’s cargo at the first instance he could not show documents?
• Why has the vessel, F/B Shun Fa Xing V-031, managed to “clandestinely flee” at dawn of May 27 or three days after it arrived, when the SBMA operates a radar that detects every movement of vessels berthed at the wharf or bay, and has patrols to pursue it?
• Why did it take Ferdinand Hernandez, SBMA deputy administrator for operations, almost 42 hours to notify the PASG and SBMA’s own anti-smuggling arm, the Task Force Subic, about the suspicious contraband?
• Why did BOC, through its boarding officer, Romulo Labrusca, remark “no dangerous cargo on board” on the record of vessel boarded?
SBMA administrator Armand Arreza on Sunday confirmed that the wharf was a restricted area and that Ang had “no authority” to enter it.
He could not say how Ang, tagged four years ago in the smuggling of Ma-Ling luncheon meat here, obtained an entrance pass.
Ang’s company, Hua Long International Inc., registered as a locator engaged in transshipping cigarettes and liquor, obtained a pass to use the port, though.
The report did not indicate that SBMA guards stopped the vessel’s crew from loading boxes to Ang’s car. PASG only said the guards “observed” the loading at past 8 p.m.
A guard stopped Ang from exiting the SRF gate at 8:35 p.m. when the latter could not show documents for the cargoes in his car.
Because these were undocumented cargoes, the guards took and transferred these to the SBMA’s Internal Affairs General Assignment Services (IAGAS).
Arreza said “nothing” was irregular in giving Ang two chances to show documents for his cargoes and on the non-opening of boxes at the first instance.
The process, he said, is “typical” of how the agency deals with undocumented cargoes.
“Our interest as a government agency is to detect or recover highly consumable items [for taxes]. The guards initially thought those to be mobile phones so we held the boxes in the meantime. They also used sniffing dogs to detect if those were drugs but it turned out to be negative,” Arreza said.
SBMA tried to make Ang write an acknowledgement letter that the boxes contained “computer parts.” He refused and asked for more time since the documents were coming from Hong Kong the next day, Monday. With that, authorities could not open the boxes. Ang did not show up the next day, though.
“We followed the procedures in dealing with undocumented cargoes,” Arreza said.
A Philippine Daily Inquirer source familiar with seaport operations thought otherwise.
“The boxes can be opened at first instance,” the source, a former SBMA official, said of how procedures are usually done at the Freeport.
Arreza said the vessel managed to leave because it was big enough not to require assistance. Other vessels are tugged out of the bay.
SBMA alerted the Coast Guard of the vessel’s escape, Arreza said. Reports said it also plies the Currimao route in Ilocos Norte province.
On why Hernandez did not report the suspected contraband immediately to PASG, Arreza said: “We have not established yet that a crime was committed.”
Smuggling, as an offense, was not actually done because, Arreza said, the goods had not been hauled out of the SBMA gates yet.
Hernandez, he said, started to suspect when Ang did not show up the next day. That was when PASG and the TFS were called in.
But Labrusca revealed more disturbing details about the case.
“I did not write the ‘no dangerous cargo on board’ remarks. In the first place, I did not board the ship because it has no notice of arrival,” Labrusca told the Inquirer.
He accused one Amor Tan of forging his signature. Tan, he said, was an “agent” of Ang. Another Inquirer source identified the woman as Amor Lee.
Labrusca also questioned why the SBMA or PASG singled out the BOC when representatives of the SBMA, immigration and quarantine bureaus also board transshipment vessels.
“SBMA should be asked: Why did it allow the vessel contracted by Ang to berth at the wharf when it has no notice of arrival?” he said.
PASG chief Undersecretary Antonio Villar Jr. said the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency has taken over the investigation.
Arreza said this will erase suspicions that the agency or its people were involved in illegal drugs trading.
PDEA chief Dionisio Santiago said the agency has an idea to which drug syndicate Ang belongs. With a report from Nikko Dizon in Manila - By Tonette Orejas - Inquirer Central Luzon Desk
The report dated June 5 showed how loose the two government agencies performed their regulatory tasks in this case. At more than 700 kilograms, the haul is so far the biggest seizure of illegal drugs in the country.
The chronology of events cited in the report led PASG officials to ask the following questions:
• Why did the SBMA allow the suspect, Anthony “Anton” Ang, to enter the wharf on the Ship Repair Facility (SRF), park his car just across the vessel carrying his cargoes and load boxes to his car when the wharf was a restricted area?
Ang was seen there at past 8 p.m. on Sunday, May 25.
• Why did SBMA give Ang at least two chances to present import documents, virtually allowing him to flee?
• Why did the SBMA not open and inspect Ang’s cargo at the first instance he could not show documents?
• Why has the vessel, F/B Shun Fa Xing V-031, managed to “clandestinely flee” at dawn of May 27 or three days after it arrived, when the SBMA operates a radar that detects every movement of vessels berthed at the wharf or bay, and has patrols to pursue it?
• Why did it take Ferdinand Hernandez, SBMA deputy administrator for operations, almost 42 hours to notify the PASG and SBMA’s own anti-smuggling arm, the Task Force Subic, about the suspicious contraband?
• Why did BOC, through its boarding officer, Romulo Labrusca, remark “no dangerous cargo on board” on the record of vessel boarded?
SBMA administrator Armand Arreza on Sunday confirmed that the wharf was a restricted area and that Ang had “no authority” to enter it.
He could not say how Ang, tagged four years ago in the smuggling of Ma-Ling luncheon meat here, obtained an entrance pass.
Ang’s company, Hua Long International Inc., registered as a locator engaged in transshipping cigarettes and liquor, obtained a pass to use the port, though.
The report did not indicate that SBMA guards stopped the vessel’s crew from loading boxes to Ang’s car. PASG only said the guards “observed” the loading at past 8 p.m.
A guard stopped Ang from exiting the SRF gate at 8:35 p.m. when the latter could not show documents for the cargoes in his car.
Because these were undocumented cargoes, the guards took and transferred these to the SBMA’s Internal Affairs General Assignment Services (IAGAS).
Arreza said “nothing” was irregular in giving Ang two chances to show documents for his cargoes and on the non-opening of boxes at the first instance.
The process, he said, is “typical” of how the agency deals with undocumented cargoes.
“Our interest as a government agency is to detect or recover highly consumable items [for taxes]. The guards initially thought those to be mobile phones so we held the boxes in the meantime. They also used sniffing dogs to detect if those were drugs but it turned out to be negative,” Arreza said.
SBMA tried to make Ang write an acknowledgement letter that the boxes contained “computer parts.” He refused and asked for more time since the documents were coming from Hong Kong the next day, Monday. With that, authorities could not open the boxes. Ang did not show up the next day, though.
“We followed the procedures in dealing with undocumented cargoes,” Arreza said.
A Philippine Daily Inquirer source familiar with seaport operations thought otherwise.
“The boxes can be opened at first instance,” the source, a former SBMA official, said of how procedures are usually done at the Freeport.
Arreza said the vessel managed to leave because it was big enough not to require assistance. Other vessels are tugged out of the bay.
SBMA alerted the Coast Guard of the vessel’s escape, Arreza said. Reports said it also plies the Currimao route in Ilocos Norte province.
On why Hernandez did not report the suspected contraband immediately to PASG, Arreza said: “We have not established yet that a crime was committed.”
Smuggling, as an offense, was not actually done because, Arreza said, the goods had not been hauled out of the SBMA gates yet.
Hernandez, he said, started to suspect when Ang did not show up the next day. That was when PASG and the TFS were called in.
But Labrusca revealed more disturbing details about the case.
“I did not write the ‘no dangerous cargo on board’ remarks. In the first place, I did not board the ship because it has no notice of arrival,” Labrusca told the Inquirer.
He accused one Amor Tan of forging his signature. Tan, he said, was an “agent” of Ang. Another Inquirer source identified the woman as Amor Lee.
Labrusca also questioned why the SBMA or PASG singled out the BOC when representatives of the SBMA, immigration and quarantine bureaus also board transshipment vessels.
“SBMA should be asked: Why did it allow the vessel contracted by Ang to berth at the wharf when it has no notice of arrival?” he said.
PASG chief Undersecretary Antonio Villar Jr. said the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency has taken over the investigation.
Arreza said this will erase suspicions that the agency or its people were involved in illegal drugs trading.
PDEA chief Dionisio Santiago said the agency has an idea to which drug syndicate Ang belongs. With a report from Nikko Dizon in Manila - By Tonette Orejas - Inquirer Central Luzon Desk
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