Smuggling charges filed vs Unioil execs

By Conrado Ching

12/16/2008

The RATS (Run After The Smugglers) group of the Bureau of Customs (BoC) has filed criminal charges against 23 persons for unlawful withdrawal of oil and unlawful importation of onions and used luxury vehicles.

Customs Commissioner Napoleon Morales said the BoC is determined to file cases every week to demonstrate the seriousness of the government in curbing smuggling in the country.

“Two cases were filed against those unscrupulous traders,” he said, adding “in the first case, the chairman and the officers and directors of Unioil were charged for unlawful withdrawal of oil products valued approximately at P181,988,627.”

The oil products were part of those subjected to warrants of seizure and detention earlier issued by District Collector Horacio Suansing on oil products of Oilink due to non-payment of duties and taxes.

“Charged were Paul Chi Ting Co, chairman of both Unioil and Oilink, officers and directors of Unioil, namely, Kenneth Pundanera, Manuel Co, Sall Co, Stanley Tan and Roschelle Vivencio, officers and directors of Oilink, namely, Liza Magaway, Janice Co, Vivencio Abano, Greg Yu, Edwin Agustin and Victor Piamonte, licensed Customs broker,” Morales said.

“In the second case, onions from India valued approximately at P3,348,117.50 were imported into the country by Rell International Trading without the requisite Import Permit/Plant Quarantine Clearance in violation of the TCCP. And the unlawful importation of three units of used luxury vehicles (Porsche Boxter ’98 model, Porsch ’96 model and Porsche 911 ’97 model) valued approximately at P2,332,313 consigned to Global International,” he added.

Charged were Luisito Moloa, Alexander de la Paz, Paul Edwin Kimpo, Edgardo Santos, Francisco Arce, Peter Mutuc, Roland Cabatic and Alex Bautista, the registered owners of the subject motor vehicles named as respondents, including Pablito Merez Quijano and Karlo Laroza Geneta, LTO guard and driver, respectively.

Morales explained the vehicles that arrived at the Subic Bay Free Port Zone from United States were illegally released from SBMA without payment of duties and taxes and without certificates of registration issued by the Land Transportation Office.

Deputy Commissioner Reynaldo Umali, RATS executive director, said these cases brought to 92 the total number of criminal cases filed by the BoC under its RATS program involving a total of 493 respondents.

To date 35 cases have been filed in various courts, including 19 before the Court of Tax Appeals.

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