BOC seizes 10,000 cell phones

BY Evelyn Macairan - PHILIPPINE STAR

The Bureau of Customs (BOC) said yesterday that about 10,000 smuggled mobile phones are being held at the Manila International Container Terminal. The BOC is scheduled to open the 40-foot container van sometime next week. The shipment, which was declared as computer parts and accessories, hardware and garments, arrived from Hong Kong last July 29.

The cargo was reportedly consigned to Geminiyal Trading in Escolta, Manila; Henan United Development Foreign Trade Co. in Subic Bay Industrial Park; and the New Magnificent Garments in Cubao, Quezon City. The shipment was scheduled to be delivered to the warehouse of Goldpatch Link International Inc. in Ermita, Manila.

Fedex official snubs Subic cell phone probe

By Anthony Bayarong - Manila Times

SUBIC BAY FREEPORT: An official of FedEx (Federal Express) who was allegedly involved in the reshipping of questionable boxes of high-end cell phones worth P22 million snubbed yesterday’s investigation called by the Presidential Anti-Smuggling Group.

The investigation expected Sam Bautista, clearance operations manager of FedEx, to clarify his alleged role in sending back the cell phones to Hong Kong, point of origin of the items. It had been initiated by officials of the antismuggling group, Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority, and Bureau of Customs Subic.

Bautista’s secretary did not say why he could not attend, said Benny Khoo, deputy director of Task Force Subic. The task force takes part in the government’s campaign against smuggling.

Present during the investigation were Khoo; Ferdinand Hernandez, the authority’s administrator for port operations; Erol Albano, Subic deputy collector; Zaldy Almoradie, special deputy collector and members of the press.

Khoo continued with the probe despite the absence of Bautista.

The cell phones had been contained in 15 boxes. They went missing this week, allegedly while in the custody of Almoradie. He said there was no official report about the holding of the boxes by his personnel at Subic Bay International Airport on the day that Albano supposedly put the boxes on hold. Albano, however, said he reported the incident to his superior Marietta Zamoranos, Subic district collector, the following day.

Hernandez said if the boxes were reshipped to Hong Kong, FedEx should have secured a clearance from Subic Customs first.

The probers have not determined who gave the clearance.

Khoo said they will resume the investigation on another date.

FedEx exec in hot water

An official of the FedEx Airfreight Service has a lot of explaining to do with regard to the alleged reshipment of 15 freight of imported cellphones when he faces officials of the Presidential Anti-Smuggling Group Task Force Subic today.

PASG Undersecretary Antonio “Bebot” A. Villar, Jr. ordered PASG-TFS Acting Deputy Director Benny Y. Kho to get the side of Sam Bautista, FedEx Clearance Operations Manager, on the reshipment of the ``hot” cellphones.

The shipment, consigned to Noel Moog of Pilar, Bataan, arrived from Hong Kong last week but were held by Customs and PASG-TFS authorities due to absence of legal documents.

“The shipment was authorized by Mr. Bautista for reshipment in clear violation of the existing rules and regulations. He did not properly coordinate with or notify the concerned officials of Customs and PASG-TFS. He did not clear the matter with us. As to why Mr. Bautista chose to ignore these rules is still a mystery,” Kho said.

The shipment was declared as communications equipment but Kho said the cargo has no permit from the National Telecommunications Commission.

Federal Express official in a bind over cell phones

AN OFFICIAL of the Federal Express Airfreight Service is facing investigation by the Presidential Anti-Smuggling Group for authorizing the reshipment of a cargo of cell phones under unusual circumstances.

Undersecretary Antonio Villar Jr., group head, said in a statement that Task Force Subic acting deputy director Benny Kho has been ordered to meet with Sam Bautista, FedEx Clearance Operations manager, who authorized the transaction.

The reshipment prevented the PASG operatives from verifying a tip alleging the cell phone units were smuggled.

The still undetermined amount of shipment contained in 15 freight boxes and consigned to a certain Noel Moog of Pilar, Bataan, arrived from Hong Kong early last week.

To an earlier inquiry, Bautista reportedly sent a letter of explanation to Zaldy Almoradie, Subic Customs special collector, claiming that he cleared the reshipment on the request of the shipper and the consignee.

Customs and anti-smuggling authorities received information that Moog’s consigned goods were unsupported by required documents.

“The shipment was authorized by Mr. Bautista for reshipment in clear violation of the existing rules and regulations. He did not properly coordinate with or notify the concerned officials of Customs and PASG-TFS. He did not clear the matter with us,” Kho said.

Records showed that the shipment was declared as communications equipment but Kho said intelligence report indicated the cargo was not covered by a permit from the National Telecommunications Commission.

Villar said if the investigation results would point to a coverup, all those responsible for the cargo’s illegal shipment will be charged with violation of the Tariff and Customs Code of the Philippines.

He said administrative charges would also be slapped against Customs staff found liable for the questionable entry and reshipment of the cell phones.
By Roy Pelovello - Manila Standard Today

179 in antismuggling body sacked

Relief came as P45M in cell phones enter Subic

By Tonette Orejas - Inquirer Central Luzon Desk

SUBIC BAY FREEPORT – The appointee of President Macapagal-Arroyo to the Task Force Subic on Thursday ordered the relief of 179 retired military officers and civilians from that antismuggling body.

The move was meant to put in fresh personnel in the government’s campaign to curb smuggling and put more taxes into the public coffers, according to Undersecretary Antonio Villar Jr., chief of both the Presidential Anti-Smuggling Group and TF Subic.

“I’m not retaining anybody,” he said.

The relief of the officers came as the PASG summoned officials of the customs bureau and a freight forwarding company to an investigation of the attempted smuggling of P45 million in cellular phones through Subic.

Ms Arroyo appointed Villar in December to head the TF Subic, replacing retired Lt. Gen. Jose Calimlim, who died of a lingering illness on Nov. 30 last year.

“I’m not saying they were eaten up by the system. I want fresh faces,” Villar said.

He has recruited 50 personnel to the task force, and plans to add 30 more from the ranks of investigators, prosecutors and informants. “That’s enough for me. Anyway, the Bureau of Customs and [the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority] have their own set of police personnel,” he said.

“I don’t want intrigues. We have a common purpose: To help the President,” he added.

Later in the press conference, Villar vowed to identify the smugglers in the freeport.

About 3,000 cars are smuggled yearly into the freeport, according to a former smuggler interviewed by the Inquirer.

Aside from cars, oil, cigarettes, liquor, used clothes and computers are smuggled, Villar said.

Under Calimlim, the task force worked on a P30-million budget yearly. Villar said he would try to reduce operation costs.

The new personnel will work in three batches to keep a 24-hour guard on the freeport’s seven gates, airport and seaport, he said.

SBMA Chair Feliciano Salonga shared Villar’s thrust, saying this would clear the agency of the “stigma” from smuggling. “It is our doctrine to end smuggling in this freeport,” he said.

SBMA Administrator Armand Arreza said the freeport had been used as “springboard” for smuggling although technically, there was none because it was not a Bureau of Customs territory on account of its liberal or duty and tax free policy as incentives for locators. Importations by non-locators are inspected and taxed by the BoC.

Subic customs collector Marietta Zamoranos said she had issued warrants of seizure and detention for at least 254 cars with blue license plates. Those are issued for cars used by business locators here.

The SBMA has lifted duties and taxes on those cars as incentives to locators. A number of them have already closed shop but continue to use the cars.

“Since they have no business here anymore, they must be paying duties and taxes now to the government,” Zamoranos said.

Errol Albano, BoC deputy collector for Subic, said the mobile phones, packed in 15 large cartons, were brought in as “communications equipment” with a declared value of P24,000. These arrived on a FedEx plane at the Subic Bay International Airport at 2:30 a.m. on Jan. 24.

Albano said he ordered FedEx to suspend the release of the cargo until the consignee, a certain Noel Moog of Pilar, Bataan, could show an importation permit from the National Telecommunications Commission.

Villar said the importation of mobile phones should be covered by NTC permits. The stickers on each unit are proof of proper importation, he said.

But Benjamin Kho, TF Subic deputy head, said Sam Bautista, manager of the clearance operations of Airfreight 21 Inc., a FedEx licensee, authorized the reshipment of the cargo to Hong Kong on Jan. 27.

Customs authorities foil cell-phone smuggling try

By janice - Manila Times

SUBIC BAY Freeport: Three boxes full of different cellular phone units were put on hold for alleged misdeclaration at the Subic Bay International Airport Friday afternoon.

Manila Times sources said the boxes containing the said cell phones were on board a FedEx flight, adding that these were declared only as communication equipment and that the owner only paid P48,000.

It was upon inspection of Customs authorities that the contents of the three boxes were ascertained as full of different cell phone units.

Sources at the airport added that the assessment of the boxes containing the cell phone units was deliberately undervalued, while its street value was estimated at around P700,000 to P1 million.

The source however did not reveal the name of the owner but only said that he was from Barangay Del Rosario, Pilar, Bataan.Anthony Bayarong

Tougher bills filed on cellphone sale

TWO senators yesterday declared war on criminal syndicates using cellular phones in their nefarious activities.

Sen. Richard Gordon filed Senate Bill No. 289 proposing the registration of prepaid subscriber identity Module or SIM cards to trace errant users. He earlier proposed a jail term of from 12 to 29 years for cellphone snatching.

“While mobile phones have brought us speed and efficiency in our transaction, there are individuals who take advantage of these modern technology to commit crimes with greater facility. Lawless elements must not be granted the privilege of using mobile phones to achieve their crimes,” Gordon said.

Opposition Sen.Panfilo Lacson meanwhile filed Senate Bill No.191 which seeks to regulate the sale of prepaid SIM cards by requiring buyers to register information into a database the telecommunication providers will maintain.

“Not only is this pre-paid subscriber identity module card easily accessible, i.e., it can be bought almost everywhere. The owners thereof can likewise easily evade detection since prepaid SIMs are virtually undetectable,” he said, adding: “Due to this, unscrupulous individuals almost always take advantage of the same in the pursuit of their criminal activities to the detriment not only of a particular interest but that of the whole nation.”

Gordon wants every mobile company to register its subscribers — both prepaid and postpaid — and maintain a directory indicating the SIM card serial number, mobile phone number, name and address of the subscriber.

“This will promote responsibility and accountability in the use of SIM Cards in mobile phones as well as provide better law enforcement in protecting the public,” he said.

Gordon said information on SIM Card registration shall be treated as absolutely confidential, unless otherwise specified by the subscriber.

Under Gordon’s bill, every cellphone seller shall require his SIM card buyer to present valid identification with picture to ascertain his identity. The seller also requires the buyer to accomplish a registration form issued by the mobile phone company of the SIM Card being purchased.

Lacson meanwhile proposed a fine of P25,000 for first-time violators, P50,000 for the second, and P100,000 for third- time violators.