DA eyes location for Bio-Safe facility in Subic Bay Freeport

The Department of Agriculture (DA) is considering to locate a Bio-Safe facility in this premier Freeport zone to ensure the security of agriculture, fisheries, and fertilizer supply chains against risks of smuggling and disease. 

Early this week, the DA-Inspectorate and Enforcement (DA-IE) unit, led by Undersecretary Carlos Carag met with Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) officials represented by Chief-of-Staff Atty. Von F. Rodriguez, at the corporate boardroom of the administration building, where the former discussed its mandate to establish a Bio-Safe facility or an examination facility in strategic locations in the country. 

The said facility is part of the government’s initiatives for the ₱1-billion Bio-Safe biosecurity program for 2026, which aims to examine all agricultural products before they are even allowed entry through the piers and go through Bureau of Customs (BOC) processes.

 

According to the DA Inspectorate and Enforcement Unit, the department is eyeing the establishment of such facilities at the Manila International Container Terminal (MICT), the Port of Subic, and the Port of Davao as part of the first phase of the said program.

 

The Bio-Safe biosecurity program aims to strengthen border controls, enhance on-ground enforcement against smuggling, and prevent food supply disruptions and price shocks.

 

Its core objectives include preventing disease outbreaks, specifically targeting transboundary animal diseases such as African Swine Fever (ASF) and Avian Influenza (Bird Flu) to prevent supply shocks and price spikes.

 

Another objective is to strengthen border control by enhancing the detection rate of agricultural smuggling, tightening sanitary/phytosanitary filters on imports, and economic protection, which aims to avoid massive industry losses, such as the estimated ₱200 billion lost due to past ASF outbreaks. (MPD-SBMA) 

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Attempted smuggling of P140-M contrabands foiled in Subic Bay Freeport

Attempted smuggling of contraband valued at P140 million was foiled on Wednesday at this premier Freeport. 

According to Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman and Administrator Eduardo Jose L. Aliño, the items were seized thru the vigilance of the agency, Bureau of Customs (BOC) Port of Subic, and the Department of Agriculture (DA).

During the presentation to the media on Wednesday at the New Container Terminal (NCT), Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel and BOC Port of Subic District Collector Atty. Ricardo Uy Morales II opened a total of seven 40-footer container vans.

The two officials presented the first five container vans containing fresh carrots and fresh yellow onions from China. According to Laurel, the shipment was declared to contain a total of 13,250 cartons of frozen fresh fish egg balls. 

The shipment was consigned to the Betron Consumer Goods Trading and arrived here on August 15, 2024 from China.

He added that the five container vans were found to contain 5,784 cartons of fresh carrots, 9,742 sacks of fresh yellow onions, and 320 cartons of frozen fresh egg balls. He also cited that the smuggled vegetables have a total fair market value of P21,082,752.

According to the BOC, the possible violations of the consignee are having no certificate of product registration issued by the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) for the frozen fresh egg balls; no Sanitary and Phytosanitary Import Clearance for the fresh carrots; and the undeclared shipment of fresh carrots and yellow onions. 

The two other 40-footer container vans, consigned to the Subic All N1 Corp., were declared to contain 2,153 packages of tissues. The container vans arrived in Subic Freeport on August 13, 2024, with Taiwan as the country of origin.

Collector Morales said that the two container vans actually contained 167 packages of tissues, 993 master cases of Bros Premium Class A cigarettes, and 993 master cases of Commando Filter, Kings Finest, and Virginia Blend cigarettes. 

Morales shared that the total fair market value for the smuggled items were priced at P115,509,839.67, adding that the violations committed by the aforementioned consignee include: no valid Certificate of Registration and Tax Exemption from the SBMA; and expired registration/ accreditation from the BOC since March 20, 2020.

He added that the consignee has no Import Commodity Clearance Issued by the National Tobacco Administration (NTA), and is not included in the 2022 list of licensed importers of tobacco products.

Chairman Aliño said that the total value of the smuggled items that were presented to the media on Wednesday amounted to P136,592,591.67. The agency chief commended the vigilance of the government agencies involved in safeguarding the country from illicit materials.

“Our mandate is in line with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s thrust of ensuring that smuggled items do not proliferate in the country. The SBMA, the BOC Port of Subic and the DA will continue to man the gates of the Philippines and bar the entry of smuggled items into the country,” he added. (MPD-SBMA)

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BPI sets up border control for agri products in Subic port

In its effort to provide a better and more efficient way to safeguard the agricultural industry in the country, the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) of the Department of Agriculture (DA) inaugurated its Plant Quarantine Service (PQS) office here Tuesday morning. 

DA Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel, Jr. and Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman and Administrator Eduardo Jose L. Aliño led the inauguration of the National Plant Quarantine Services Division (NPQSD) office at the Subic Bay Freeport on Tuesday.

According to Laurel, the NPQSD office aims to prevent the entry of foreign pests into the country via the Subic port, contain and minimize the spread of pests already existing in the country, and comply with the phytosanitary requirements of trading partners. 

“Today, we are making substantial progress in our aim to guarantee the well-being of our agriculture industry and the prosperity of our farmers,” Laurel said.

“The establishment of this new office in Subic holds a significant importance due to its position as a prominent center for trade and logistics. Let us continuously improve our border control system with increased efficiency and effectiveness,” he added.

SBMA Chairman Aliño welcomed this gesture from the BPI’s NPQSD since it would help foil the smuggling of illegal agricultural products in the Freeport.

He added that the agencies involved, including the Bureau of Customs (BOC), are all working in line with President Marcos’ thrust to combat agricultural smuggling, providing a digitized government service, and ensuring proper border control.

DA BPI Director Gerald Glenn Panganiban has requested the BOC to order all imports of plant-based agricultural commodities go through the PQO at the respective ports for mandatory document verification and inspection.

Customs Memorandum Circular (CMC) No. 102-2024 signed on June 7 by Customs commissioner Bienvenido Rubio states that this is a requirement regardless of the categories that the plant-based agricultural commodities may fall under.

The procedure is in compliance with the provisions stated in DA’s Department Circular No. 4 series of 2016, which provides guidelines on the importation of plants, planting materials, and plant products for commercial purposes.

Under Article VI Section 23 of the DA circular, the plant commodities are subject to the existing procedures for inspection at the port of entry.

 The NPQSD cited that upon the arrival of the consignment, the importer should apply for inspection (BPI Q Form No. 4) at the PQS office in the port of entry. The importer should provide pertinent documents during inspection, while samples of the commodity will also be collected for laboratory analysis. (MPD-SBMA)

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Smuggled vegetables seized in Subic Freeport

In line with the mandate of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to run after agricultural smugglers, the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) and the Bureau of Customs (BOC) Port of Subic apprehended nine 40-foot container trucks at the Port of Subic on Wednesday.

SBMA Chairman and Administrator Jonathan D. Tan, who personally went to the Freeport's container terminal for the inspection, said the nine containers were all declared as frozen lobster balls, which were consigned to Rianne Food Products.

The SBMA Chief added that the seized cargo arrived on November 3 with a declaration that the shipments all  contained at least 40, 000 cartons of frozen lobster balls.

Tan revealed that upon cargo check, the SBMA and the BOC found that the shipments contained fresh potatoes, carrots, radish, and broccoli in the amount of more than 42.6 Million Pesos.

The BOC Port of Subic seized the misdeclared shipments for proper disposition and appropriate action. Six other containers, also consigned to the same company, will be subjected to the same inspection procedure by the port authority and the customs bureau.

Meanwhile, Chairman Tan lauded the vigilance of the two agencies, stating that both the SBMA and the BOC Port of Subic are very much serious in implementing the President's mandate to go after agricultural smugglers and end illicit trade in the country. (MPD-SBMA)

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SBMA Chairman assures stricter measures against smuggling

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman and Administrator Jonathan D. Tan assured the public that smuggling will be thwarted during his term.

The statement came after Tan and Bureau of Customs (BOC) District Collector Atty. Carmelita Talusan conducted an inspection of counterfeit goods worth P240-million in a warehouse in Subic Bay Freeport on Tuesday.

According to Tan, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has mandated him to look into the smuggling of goods inside the Freeport, citing that the apprehension of the shipment of counterfeit goods is thru the collaboration between his agency and the BOC Port of Subic.

Chairman Tan said that the SBMA will provide any assistance necessary to the BOC Port of Subic to ensure that smuggled goods would be confiscated before entering other Philippine territories. 

“The cooperation between the SBMA and BOC Port of Subic will definitely yield positive results following the mandate that the President has given me. By working together, our agencies will certainly provide a more secure Subic Bay Freeport Zone that is free from smuggling,” Tan said.

The two officials inspected the shipments of counterfeit goods at a warehouse in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone on Tuesday wherein 1,269 cartons of misdeclared t-shirts were found. Talusan said that the estimated value of the two shipments totaled P240 million.

Atty. Talusan also mentioned that the cargoes arrived on June 14, from its port of origin in Dhaka, Bangladesh. She added that they conducted the examination on June 26 on the shipments consigned to Bonne Volonte Consumer Goods.

The BOC official also cited that the shipment violates Section 155 of Republic Act No. 8293 or the Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines, relative to Section 1113(f) of RA No. 10863 or the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA).

Talusan also disclosed that some of the brand owners who provided certificates of counterfeit goods include Emerald Garment Manufacturing Corp. (makers of RRJ, Stylistic and Mr. Lee), and Federis & Associates Law Offices for Uniqlo and Cotton On. (MPD-SBMA)

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Gov’t agencies seize shipment of ₱190-M misdeclared items at Subic Port

Coordinated efforts by government agencies have led to the seizure of misdeclared items worth a total of ₱190-million at the Port of Subic.

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman and Administrator Rolen C. Paulino revealed that the BOC Port of Subic, thru information from the Department of Agriculture (DA), discovered 58 containers loaded with 30,000 sacks of misdeclared refined sugar worth ₱150-million. 

Following the issuance of Pre-Lodgement Control Orders and Alert Orders by District Collector Maritess Martin, Paulino, Customs Commissioner Bienvenido Y. Rubio, and DA Assistant Secretary James Layug conducted an examination of the shipment on Thursday.

Aside from the 58 containers, two more containers of misdeclared assorted frozen meat products were seized which cost around ₱40 million. 

Martin said that the agency is set to issue a warrant of seizure and detention (WSD) against the subject containers for violation of Section 1400, in relation to Section 1113 (f) of the Republic Act 10863 or the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA), and Sugar Regulatory Authority and BOC Joint Memorandum Order No. 04-2002.

Customs Commissioner Bienvenido Rubio lauded the vigilance of the pertinent agencies, citing, “the BOC continues to maximize its intelligence resources and intensify enforcement measures to thwart all attempts of smuggling, especially those involving agricultural products that negatively impact our local farmers and businesses.”

“It has always been a priority of the BOC to protect local consumers against the health hazards posed by these illegally imported goods,” he added.

SBMA Chairman Paulino lauded the personnel of the agency, together with the BOC and the DA for foiling the attempt to smuggle ₱150-million worth of misdeclared sugar, along with the P40-million worth of misdeclared frozen products.

“We will follow President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s thrust in ensuring that Subic Freeport will not be an entry point for smuggled items. The SBMA, BOC Port of Subic, and the DA are working hand-in-hand to thwart any illegal trade happening in Subic Freeport,” he said. (MPD-SBMA)

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SBMA chair lauds employees for apprehension of smuggling try in Subic

"Not on my watch!"

This was the statement made by Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman and Administrator Rolen C. Paulino during a media briefing here on Tuesday to warn those attempting to smuggle goods through the freeport. 

Paulino was reacting to reports that the Subic Bay Freeport “should be closed” to prevent smuggling. He cited that the apprehension of smugglers should be commended instead, citing that the SBMA is working closely with other government agencies in preventing smuggling in the country. 

The Freeport has been under fire from Albay Congressman Joey Salceda after the representative cited that the Subic Freeport should be closed due to the alleged “rampant smuggling” here. The chairman of the House Committee on Ways and Means said that they will probe the Freeport for the supposed smuggling.

Chairman Paulino cited that prior to the docking of the ship, the SBMA conducts a Ship Pre-Arrival Meeting (SPAM) to verify the shipments and see if there were any misdeclaration, misclassification or undervaluation in their cargoes. 

Suspicious shipments will be held for investigation by corresponding government agency and will be charged accordingly. 

He said that the entry of items inside the Subic Bay Freeport Zone is not smuggling in itself. It is still subject for joint inspection by the SBMA seaport department, together with the Bureau of Customs (BoC), the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) for verification of documents before they issue a pass. 

“If these items got out of the Subic Freeport gates without the proper documents, then that would be considered smuggling,” Paulino stressed. 

Moreover, he said that the seizure of smuggled items in the Subic Bay Freeport before it gains entry into Philippine territory is a sign that the SBMA and other government agencies tasked to guard the entry points are doing their job. 

“We believe that Representative Salceda is only looking out for the good of the country, but closing the Subic Bay Freeport is not the answer to stop the smuggling, especially of agricultural products,” Paulino said. 

The chairman said that, consequently, hundreds of thousands of workers here would lose their jobs, the billion-dollar transshipment businesses here would closed, billions of pesos in revenues would not be collected ergo will not be turned over to the national government.

“Closing the Freeport would mean that hundreds of foreign and local companies will relocate, some of the biggest tourism sites will close, and military presence in the area will have no direct support from other government agencies,” he said. (MPD-SBMA)  

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BOC seizes 7,029MT sugar from Thailand in Port of Subic

The Bureau of Customs (BOC) Port of Subic seized around 7,029 metric tonnes of sugar on Thursday evening as part of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive to thwart the illegal hoarding of sugar imports in the country. 

According to Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman and Administrator Rolen C. Paulino, the BOC Port of Subic held the Taiwanese cargo ship MV Bangpakaew at the Naval Supply Depot (NSD) on Thursday evening.

He said that the ship that came from Bangkok containing 142,798 bags or equivalent to 7,029 metric tonnes of imported sugar arrived on August 17, 7pm. A part of the shipment have already been unloaded into three trucks supposedly en route to Oro Agri Trade in Rosales, Pangasinan.

According to Paulino, the vessel has allegedly been using recycled import documents and has already paid its taxes worth P44 million. The cargo vessel is currently on hold for further investigation.

“We are following President Marcos’ mandate to ensure that there is no hoarding of sugar in the country. The President made it clear that he does not want to import sugar, and certainly he does not want the illegal hoarding of sugar that causes prices to skyrocket,” he said.

Recently, the BOC Port of Subic intercepted various illicit cigarettes worth P253 Million from June to July 2022.

According to Port of Subic District Collector Maritess Martin, previously, 972 master cases of cigarettes consigned to Thousand Sunny valued at P40.09 million were confiscated in June. She added that the Port also intercepted 1,003 master cases of cigarettes worth P41.3 million, consigned to Russhi Knish Consumer.

“Another shipment of Thousand Sunny Enterprise arrived at the Port despite the revocation of their accreditation. It contained 1,000 master cases of assorted cigarettes valued at P42.2 million,” she added.

In July 2022, the Port seized another 2,157 master cases of cigarettes consigned to Proline Logistics Philippines Inc. amounting to P84.9 million.

The BOC-Subic also received information that another shipment consigned to Proline Logistics Inc. would arrive at the Port.

The BOC immediately issued a Pre-lodgment Control Order against the subject shipment, which contained 1,122 master cases of Marvels Filter Kings Cigarettes valued at P46,276,890.00. Martin vowed to protect the national borders against unscrupulous importers and illicit traders through intensified profiling and monitoring of import goods. (MPD-SBMA)

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P24-M imported onions seized in Subic

The Bureau of Customs (BOC) in the Port of Subic on Monday seized 12 container vans loaded with fresh onions with an estimated market value of P24 million. 

Subic Customs collector Marites Martin said the cargo arrived in Subic from China and were consigned to two port users: Thousand Sunny, which was to receive three containers, and Dua Te Mira, which was to get nine.

The manifest, however, indicated that the contents of the 40-footer refrigerated container vans were frozen chapati bread, or flat Indian bread.

Martin said the BOC decided to declare the cargos abandoned after nobody claimed them or presented proof of ownership for all or part of the shipment.

The BOC said each of the 12 refrigerated vans contained hundreds of sacks of fresh red onions with estimated market value of P2 million each van.

During the inspection at the New Container Terminal here on Monday, five units of containerized vans were opened in the presence of Martin, Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma, Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Assistant Secretary Ronnel Abrenica, and DENR field inspector Tom Muñoz.

One of the containers was equipped with a global positioning system (GPS) tracking device, which the BOC said is used to track the container’s current location. Martin said this was the first time they discovered a GPS tracking devise being placed in a container van.

Meanwhile, SBMA Chairman Eisma expressed regret upon learning that the seized cargo may end up being destroyed under the law, and suggested to Martin and Muñoz that they just be donated to the poor or to charity institutions.

“In this time of the pandemic when many already lost their jobs, and more have nothing to cook, it’s really a waste if these products will just be destroyed. I hope we could find ways that they could somehow benefit the needy,” Eisma said.

Martin and Muñoz in response assured the SBMA Chairman that if it is allowable by law, they would recommend that the confiscated onions be donated instead.

The BOC is said to be conducting follow-up operations on the misdeclared shipment. (MPD-SBMA)

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SBMA statement on imported wastes discovered at Subic Bay Freeport

Last Saturday, October 17, 2020, the Bureau of Customs at the Port of Subic raised an alert over two shipments consisting of 30 container vans declared to be containing old corrugated cartons for re-pulping. The shipments were transported from the United States via the container ship Ever Lyric and consigned to Bataan 2020, Inc., a paper manufacturer with a mill in Samal, Bataan.

The alert was based on information from the Department of the Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) that said shipments are suspected to be in violation of R.A. 10863, or An Act Modernizing the Customs and Tariff Administration, in relation to DERNR Administrative Order 2013-22 (Revised Procedures and Standards for the Management of Hazardous Wastes).

After initial examination of five container vans, BOC-Subic declared that “the shipment revealed prohibited waste materials which were illegally imported.” BOC-Subic said it will undertake further inventory “to ascertain the volume and actual contents of the shipment.”

As manager of the Subic Bay Freeport Zone, the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) vehemently denounces this apparent attempt to smuggle waste materials into the country and likewise deplores the use of the Subic Bay Freeport as a transit point for this illegal trade.  

It was just last year — on May 31, 2019 — that we successfully banished from our shores 69 garbage-laden containers from Canada, of which 67 had stayed here in Subic in their putrid condition for several years. We don’t want that sordid chapter in our history to happen again.

We join all concerned government agencies in vigilance against illegal importations and urge that those found involved in this unlawful activity be properly prosecuted.

We cannot, and should not, condone the dumping of wastes from any country into our shores.

WILMA T. EISMA

SBMA Chairman and Administrator

October 22, 2020

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SBMA, BOC close ranks to beat smuggling

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) threw its full support to the government’s anti-smuggling campaign by signing a cooperation agreement with the Bureau of Customs (BOC) to improve the latter’s capability in flushing out illegal activities in the Port of Subic.

SBMA Chairperson and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma signed an accord last Friday with Customs Commissioner Isidro Lapeña for the construction of a new building here to house the Port of Subic’s BOC office, as well as a training facility for the proposed Customs Academy.

The Philippines is reportedly one the few remaining countries in the world that lacked an official school for its Customs personnel.

“We’re a hundred percent in support of this project because we are aware of what this means to the Philippine economy, to law enforcement, as well as to the local industries and image of the Subic Bay Freeport as a center of commerce,” Eisma said.

“Smuggling bleeds the economy dry, and everything we have been building in Subic all these years would come to naught if illegal activities like this were not stopped,” she added.

Eisma pointed out that the SBMA, particularly its Law Enforcement Department, has been working closely with the BOC in combatting smuggling.

Last December, SBMA law enforcers foiled an attempt to bring out of the Subic Freeport some P40-million worth of expensive liquors. The agency’s Seaport Department also blacklisted brokers found to be involved in that smuggling operation, Eisma said.

Eisma and Lapeña, along with Port of Subic District Collector Fidel Villanueva and Philippine International Trading Corp. President and CEO Dave Almarinez, also inspected on Friday three shipments that were seized by the Subic BOC for various violations of customs laws.

The first shipment involved a 10x20 container van of Thailand white rice with an estimated value of P10 million that lacked the required import permit from the National Food Administration.

Lapeña said the supposed consignee, the Philippine International Trading Corp. (PITC), which is the trading arm of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), had denied ownership of the said through its President, Dave Almarinez.

The Subic BOC also confiscated 18 units of Vespa scooters from Italy, a part of a 112-unit shipment worth P30 million, which were seized for gross undervaluation and falsification of import documents. Lapeña said the undervaluation resulted in a discrepancy of more than 70 percent of the dutie4s and taxes due thereon.

The third shipment consisted of 8,865 bottles of expensive liquors and spirits that the SBMA turned over to the BOC after seizure in late December.

Lapeña said the liquors were initially admitted into the Subic Bay Freeport for storage and eventual re-exportation, but were boarded in a close van in an attempt to smuggle them out of Subic to avoid payment of duties and taxes.

In the same day, the SBMA and the BOC recognized the top 10 companies in the Subic Bay Freeport that contributed the most revenue to the Port of Subic last year.

“These are two side of the same coin,” Eisma said at the sidelines of the awarding ceremony at the BOC office here. “We seize contraband to deter smuggling, but we also praise those who follow the law and help us grow the Subic economy.”

Among those cited as top revenue contributors in Subic are: Micro Dragon Petroleum Inc., United Auctioneers Inc., Filoil Logistics Corp., PTT Philippines Corp., Petron Corp., and Murami Subic Trading Corp. (HEE/MPD-SBMA)

PHOTOS:

[1] SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma and Customs Commissioner Isidro Lapeña sign an agreement for the construction in the Subic Bay Freeport of a building to house the Customs office in the Port of Subic and a training facility for the proposed Customs Academy. (AMD/MPD-SBMA)

[2] SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma joins an inspection of smuggled Thailand white rice seized at the port of Subic with (from left): Port of Subic District Collector Fidel Villanueva, Customs Commissioner Isidro Lapeña, and Philippine International Trading Corp. President and CEO Dave Almarinez. (AMD/MPD-SBMA)

[3] SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma (standing in second row) joins Customs Commissioner Isidro Lapeña and other officials of the Port of Subic in recognizing the top 10 companies that contributed the most revenue to the Port of Subic in 2017. (AMD/MPD-SBMA)

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SBMA bans 3 brokers in P40-M liquor smuggling try

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) has blacklisted three customs brokers for involvement in the attempted smuggling here recently of expensive liquor worth around P40 million.

SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma said this was the initial action of the agency in connection with the smuggling attempt that was foiled by the SBMA Law Enforcement Department (SBMA-LED) just before Christmas.

The SBMA Seaport Department has identified the blacklisted brokers as Ellen Baylon, an authorized representative of the brokerage firm Alava Alliance, Inc.; John Louie Pabico, a processor of Phil-Hohan International Corp.; and Cherry Springael, a freelance processor and authorized representative of Alava Alliance.

“These persons have been banned from doing business with the SBMA Seaport, and the companies they represented have been placed on indefinite suspension pending the final results of investigation by the Bureau of Customs (BOC),” Eisma added.

She added that the BOC, which received custody of the smuggled items from the SBMA, will also file appropriate criminal charges against the brokers for violation of the Customs and Tariff Act, as well as Republic Act 7227, or the Bases Conversion and Development Act.

“Let this serve as a warning that Subic authorities won’t tolerate illegal activities in the Freeport, and we will apply the full measure of the law in cases like this,” Eisma added.

The SBMA said earlier that its law enforcement operatives seized a total of 1,321 boxes of liquor from a closed van that was about to leave the Freeport on Dec. 24, and from a 40-footer container van parked at the Subic Seaport Terminal on Dec. 28.

The seized contraband included 54 bottles of Remy Martin Louis XIII, which sells as much as P170,000 per bottle, and eight boxes of Remy Martin Centaure De Diamant, which fetches P60,000 per bottle.

The SBMA police began the operation on Christmas Eve after a tipster informed them that a closed van and a Nissan Patrol SUV would attempt to smuggle contraband from the Freeport.

Subsequently, SBMA-LED operatives posted along the Argonaut Highway leading to Subic’s sea ports monitored the vehicles and tailed them to the 14th Street Gate where they were stopped by sentries.

The Fuso van, bearing File No. 036404 of BCR Trucking, was found to contain 275 boxes of Remy Martin Cognac Champagne, 448 boxes of Martini, 66 boxes of Remy Martin XO, 17 boxes of Remy Martin Champagne, 8 boxes of Remy Martin Louis XIII, 8 boxes of Remy Martin Centaure De Diamant, 7 boxes of Remy Martin Club, and 7 boxes of Remy Martin.

The driver, identified as 41-year old Julio Flores, as well as the helper, 46-year old Marvin Arcega, failed to present necessary documents when accosted by the police, the SBMA-LED said in a report.

Under investigation, Flores reported that he picked up the merchandise from the Subic Seaport Terminal Inc. (SSTI) at the Boton Pier here on instruction of a certain “Ed” who rented his truck for the pickup.

Flores added that a certain “Cherry” assured him that the goods were ready for exit at Subic’s Tipo gate even without any document because two other trucks with similar load were able to exit so.

With this information, SBMA operatives conducted a follow-up operation on Thursday that led them to a white Isuzu Giga cab with the markings “Sinfa Logistics Inc.” that was parked at the SSTI’s Boton Pier facility. The 40-footer container yielded 333 boxes of Remy Martin, 196 boxes of Remy Martin XO, 1 box of Remy Martin Club, 1 box of Martini, 2 boxes of Remy Martin, and 10 boxes of Remy Martin Louis XIII.

Eisma said the SBMA police conducted an inventory of the smuggled items in the presence of representatives from the Bureau of Customs, the SBMA Seaport Department and members of the media before turning over the confiscated items and the vehicles containing them to the Bureau of Customs in the Port of Subic. (HEE/MPD-SBMA)

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SBMA police seize P40 million smuggled liquor

Police operatives from the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) foiled an attempt to smuggle more than P40-million worth of liquor here and seized the contraband even before they could be spirited out of the Subic Bay Freeport on Christmas Eve.

The SBMA Law Enforcement Department seized a total of 1,321 boxes of expensive liquor from a closed van that was about to leave the Freeport on Dec. 24, and from a 40-footer container van parked at the Subic Seaport Terminal.

SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma lauded the alertness and efficacy of the SBMA law enforcers in foiling the smuggling attempt.

“Some unscrupulous parties would really take advantage of the Christmas season to try to pull away illegal activities in the Freeport, but this only proves that the SBMA Law Enforcement Department is ready at all times to do their duty,” Eisma said after receiving the report.

“This is a job well done for the SBMA and another huge failure for those who try to use Subic for their smuggling operation,” Eisma added.

According to a report by Maj. Vicente Tolentino, head of the SBMA Law Enforcement Department, the seized contraband included 54 bottles of Remy Martin Louis XIII, which sells as much as P170,000 per bottle, and eight boxes of Remy Martin Centaure De Diamant, which fetches P60,000 per bottle.

Tolentino said the SBMA police began the operation on Christmas Eve after a tipster informed them that a closed van and a Nissan Patrol SUV would attempt to smuggle contraband from the Freeport.

He said that operatives posted along the Argonaut Highway monitored the vehicles and tailed them to the 14th Street Gate where they were stopped by sentries.

The Fuso van, bearing File No. 036404 of BCR Trucking, was driven by 41-year old Julio Flores, along with helper Marvin Arcega, 46 years old. The two failed to present necessary documents when accosted by the police, Tolentino said.

The van contained 275 boxes of Remy Martin Cognac Champagne, 448 boxes of Martini, 66 boxes of Remy Martin XO, 17 boxes of Remy Martin Champagne, 8 boxes of Remy Martin Louis XIII, 8 boxes of Remy Martin Centaure De Diamant, 7 boxes of Remy Martin Club, and 7 boxes of Remy Martin.

A follow-up operation on Thursday led operatives to a white Isuzu Giga cab with the markings “Sinfa Logistics Inc.”, which was parked at the Subic Seaport Terminal in the Boton Wharf.

The 40-footer container van on its trailer contained the rest of the contraband: 333 boxes of Remy Martin, 196 boxes of Remy Martin XO, 1 box of Remy Martin Club, 1 box of Martini, 2 boxes of Remy Martin, and 10 boxes of Remy Martin Louis XIII.

Tolentino said the SBMA police conducted an inventory of the smuggled items last Thursday and Friday in the presence of representatives from the Bureau of Customs, the SBMA Seaport Department and members of the media.

On Friday, Tolentino formally turned over the items and the vehicles containing them to Ciriaco Ugay, OIC-Collector of the Bureau of Customs in the Port of Subic. (JEE/MPD-SBMA)

PHOTO:

SBMA police operatives and workers unload boxes of smuggled liquor for inventory at the Law Enforcement Department office on Friday. (JRR/MPD-SBMA)

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SBMA chair warns smugglers: ‘Heads will roll’

Subic Bay Metropolitan (SBMA) Chairman Martin Diño warned crooked businessmen not to use the Subic Bay Freeport for their smuggling operation, adding that the Subic agency will not spare anyone in its campaign against corruption.

Diño issued the warning as he announced the seizure of a 10-wheeler truck (RNK 394) loaded with 36 units of used industrial sewing machine and other office equipment with an estimated total value of P2.65 million.

The cargo was declared as assorted scrap materials from the Subic Bay Apparel Corp., a company which has closed at the Naval Magazine area here. The cargo was declared as worth only P10,000.

Diño said that SBMA law enforcers and personnel of the Bureau of Customs (Port of Subic) stopped the cargo truck last Friday, May 19, after its driver Roel Taloban, 24, of New Cabalan, Olongapo City, failed to show a clearance from the Bureau of Customs (BoC).

Diño added that because of the incident, BoC CIIS Lt. Gino Minguilian asked Subic authorities to review the documents and CCTV footages of haulers exiting the Freeport gate at Tipo Road.

From these it was found that on May 11, 12 and 15, five other hauling trucks loaded with 109 heavy duty sewing machines, computers, office chairs, 300 rolls of fabric and other materials, have passed through Tipo Road. The cargoes were reportedly transported to the San Simon Industrial Park in Pampanga.

“We will know who were involved in this, where it passed, or whether this was happening regularly,” Diño also said. “This time we are sending a clear signal to all businessmen, as well as our people at the gate, that the SBMA is serious in stopping smuggling here.”

The SBMA official further said that he is consulting now with the agency lawyers to find ways on how to run after smugglers.

“Definitely, like what we are doing at the VACC (Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption), there will be heads rolling here,” he assured the media.

Meanwhile, Minguilian said that he has already relieved BoC personnel who were assigned in Tipo at the time when the trucks in question passed the Freeport gate. (RAV/MPD-SBMA)

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SBMA intensifies cooperation with BOC to curb smuggling outside the Freeport

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) is intensifying its cooperation with the Bureau of Customs (BOC) to guard against the smuggling of goods outside the Freeport’s borders.

“The SBMA is very vigilant about cases like this and we are closely working with the BOC to ensure that Subic Bay’s tax-free regime is not being used and abused in attempts to smuggle out goods from the Freeport,” SBMA Administrator Wilma Amy T. Eisma said.

At the same time, Eisma denied reports of rice smuggling in the Freeport, saying the agency will not allow any rice shipment to even enter Subic Bay waters under SBMA jurisdiction without a permit from the National Food Authority (NFA).

She said that before any rice shipment or any cargo comes into the Freeport, these should first undergo strict evaluation by the SBMA.

The SBMA Administrator was responding to information reportedly received by Agriculture Secretary Manny Piñol that Subic Bay Freeport is being used as an entry port to smuggle rice inside the country.

“Tinatanong muna namin kung may permiso yan sa NFA. Kung walang permiso, wag na kayong dumaong,” Eisma said in a radio interview.

Furthermore, she added that apart from it being a regulated product, rice is usually shipped as bulk cargo and it is only when it reaches the pier that the grains are packed in sacks thereat, making it difficult for someone to hide the shipment.

Eisma clarified that the task of guarding against smuggling is not solely on SBMA’s shoulders, but more so, it is the responsibility of the customs bureau.

“Under the law, one can pretty much bring anything into the Freeport for as long as it is not illegal. The important thing is that these goods should not be brought out of the Freeport without paying the proper duties and taxes,” she said.

“Ang pagbabantay po ng pagbabayad ng buwis ay nasa Bureau of Customs, kaya po dalawa na po kaming nagbabantay,” Eisma said. (RBB/MPD-SBMA)

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Network vs illicit trade launched in Subic Freeport

Representatives of various community sectors here formed on Thursday a grassroots network of volunteers to help fight illegal business activities in support of the Duterte administration’s drive against smuggling and counterfeit goods.

The Federation of Philippine Industries (FPI) organized the network as a public-private partnership under the Fight Illicit Trade (Fight IT) Movement, which it had earlier established along its anti-illicit trade advocacy.

FPI Chairman Jesus Arranza, who is also Fight IT lead convener, said the movement brings together volunteers from local government units, law-enforcement agencies, business chambers, educational institutions, civic organizations and other community groups to commit in the campaign against illicit trade.

“Through the Fight IT Warriors network, the movement will be able to provide reliable intelligence to law-enforcement groups that will help them in tackling the illicit-trade problem,” Arranza said.

A recent report by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) commissioned by European Chamber of Commerce said Southeast Asian countries are at the bottom of the pack when it comes to the fight against illicit trade. Worse still, the problem could grow, the EIU added.

Arranza said the Subic Bay Freeport was chosen for the launch of the movement because of its “strong sense of volunteerism and civic spirit supporting the administration in its programs, especially in the enforcement of laws and regulations.”

Subic’s strategic location as a regional transshipment hub, with an active port that handles tons of shipments daily, also makes it an ideal site for the kickoff, he added.

Around 300 volunteers were sworn in as the movement’s Fight IT Warriors during the movement’s launching at the Subic Bay Exhibition and Convention Center on Thursday.

Accordingly, the “warriors” pledged to report sightings of fake or smuggled goods, as well as suspected illicit-trade practices in their communities to help authorities apprehend and prosecute illegal traders.

The volunteers were also tasked to join and actively participate in initiatives fostering illicit-trade awareness and enforcement issues, trainings on counterfeit spotting and identification, and workshops to enforce actions against trademark violators.

Most important of all, network members pledged to promote the purchase of genuine products to show full support to the movement’s advocacy.

Meanwhile, Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority Chairman Martin Diño, who welcomed participants to the launch, expressed his full support to the movement.

“The entire Subic community joins our administration’s relentless campaign against criminality and corruption. And among the steps we are about to take is to flag the presence of illegal activities and raise the problem of illicit trade to the fore,” Diño said.

In the same occasion, The Fight IT Movement unveiled its full-feature web site www.fightillicittrade.com, which features a reporting mechanism for warriors as well as the general public. The site ensures the confidentiality of the sources’ identity, movement leaders said.

The public can also report sightings of illicit products in local areas through the web site and its local hotline 722-3409. (Henry Empeño, BusinessMirror)

PHOTO:
“Fight IT Warriors” from the Lyceum of Subic signify their commitment to help combat illegal trade during the launch of the Fight Illicit Trade (Fight IT) Movement at the Subic Bay Freeport on Thursday. (HEE, BusinessMirror)

http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/network-vs-illicit-trade-launched-in-subic-freeport/

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P5M smuggle try foiled in Subic port

The Bureau of Customs commended an officer and men of the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service (CIIS) in the Port of Subic for foiling a smuggle try of some P5-million worth of imported items out of the Subic Freeport.

Commended last Monday were Manolo Arevalo, OIC-Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service (CIIS-ID) and operatives Intelligence Agent Teodorico Tobias and Special Agents Reycristo Ruanto, Jr. and Ruperto Sulit, Jr.

BoC District Collector Port of Subic Gen. Arnulfo Marcos (Ret.) said Arevalo and his men seized imported 7,200 cartons of ceramic tiles which arrived in Subic in a 20-footer container van consigned to Tough Sapphire Enterprises in Biñan, Laguna.

The shipment with estimated market value of P3-million was covered with false declaration executed by the consignee.

Earlier, Marcos ordered the seizure of a 40-footer container packed with disassembled aircraft, one rubber boat and a Lycoming 0-320 engine which is consigned to Centurion Import Services located at the 2/F of Philcox Hangar, General Aviation Area, MDA, Pasay City.

Accordingly, the consignee used fake invoice to undervalue the shipment to P2-million. The shipment was turned over to Auction and Cargo Disposal Unit of BoC while investigation is still in the process of determining what to do with the shipment.

In a separate incident, the Bureau’s Enforcement and Security Service (Port of Subic) led by its chief Lt. Paul Oandasan, confiscated a shipment of Bavaria Premium Beer worth P2.8-million in Olongapo City after it was smuggled out of Subic Freeport without paying correct tariff duties and taxes. (Ruben A Veloria, People's Journal)

http://www.journal.com.ph/index.php/news/provincial/p5m-smuggle-try-foiled-in-subic-port

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SBMA To Augment Harbor Patrol

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) plans to augment its harbor patrol by adding four new patrol boats to its security fleet.

This was bared by SBMA Chairman Robert Garcia in a recent interview, adding that the agency will also be repairing two patrol boats. He added that the SBMA wants to ensure the security of Subic Bay’s shorelines.

“We have already asked Malacañan to provide us with the proper funding for our new patrol boats. We are still waiting for their nod,” Garcia said.

The statement came amidst the drug bust that happened recently in the town of Subic which resulted in the seizure of P2 billion worth of methamphetamine hydrochloride or “shabu.”


Garcia said the agency is not claiming the honor of busting the drug syndicate but only said that it assisted the police. “We helped in staking out the syndicate,” he said.


Garcia reiterated that allegations made by Subic Mayor Jefferson Khonghun that the drugs passed through Subic Bay Freeport is unfounded, since the drugs might have come from foreign vessels and then possibly ferried via motorized bancas.

“The shoreline of Subic town is long (sic), motorized bancas could land anywhere in Subic town,” Garcia said.

“We have been adamant in keeping smuggling off of Subic Freeport. Items such as rice, oil and other smuggled items have been nil since we helped bust the biggest rice smuggling operation in the country,” Garcia said.

As for the SBMA officials who are connected in the drug operations, Garcia was mum on the subject. (Jonas Reyes, Manila Bulletin)

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SBMA clears misinformation about Subic Freeport and P2-B drug bust

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman Roberto Garcia yesterday shed light on erroneous reports about the seizure of some 400 kilograms of shabu in this free port.

Newspaper reports dated August 12 indicated that anti-narcotics operatives of the Philippine National Police (PNP) after a five-month surveillance arrested six suspects and seized of 400 kilos of shabu worth P2-B at the Sta. Monica Subdivision in Subic, Zambales.

Some accounts, however, placed the location of the drug bust as either the Subic Bay Freeport or the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority, instead of the municipality of Subic in Zambales.

“I just want to make it clear, once and for all, because it has become a common mistake that Subic Bay Freeport and Subic, Zambales are one and the same. Well, they are not,” stressed Garcia in a statement..

‘Subic Bay Freeport is a 670-square kilometer area, which is formerly the .US. Naval Base, Subic Bay. By virtue of the Republic Act 7227, it is now being managed and developed by the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority into a self-sustaining growth center,” he added.

“Subic, Zambales, on the other hand, is one of the 13 municipalities of the province of Zambales, and one of the eight communities adjacent to the Subic Bay Freeport,” he continued.

In the case of the seizure of P2-billion shabu on August 11,Garcia emphasized that this happened at Sta. Monica Subdivision, which is located in the municipality of Subic, Zambales, and not in the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority, nor in the Subic Bay Freeport.

A report also mentioned the Subic Bay Freeport as a haven for drug smugglers, referring to the drug smuggling attempt here at the Subic Bay Freeport sometime in 2011.

Garcia likewise clarified that that smuggling attempt made news “precisely because it was foiled by the SBMA Law Enforcement Department, in cooperation with other agencies.”

According to Garcia, the SBMA and the Bureau of Customs (BOC) have long been in close coordination to curb smuggling in the Port of Subic, which is in the Subic Bay Freeport.

Moreover, he gave the assurance that under his term, the SBMA will not allow smugglers to do any “monkey business” in the Subic Bay Freeport. (RFD/MPD-SBMA)

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Customs sues Subic rice smugglers

The Bureau of Customs on Thursday charged before the Department of Justice six rice smugglers who figured in bringing into Subic contraband rice from Vietnam.

Customs Commissioner Rozzano Rufino “Ruffy” Biazon said that sued for violation of Sections 3601 and 3602, in relation to Sections 2503 and 2530 of the Tariffs and Customs Code of the Philippines were Jan Dexter Marfil, president of Masagana Import Export Inc., the consignee of the Vietnam rice shipment; board members Editha Arzola and Jeaneth Espeleta Vega, directors Gerardo Yaco Vega and William Tunog Quiohilag; and Masagana’s customs broker Mary Joy Sanchez.

Biazon added that the six were charged after the rice smuggling attempt at the Subic Freeport Zone of 20,000 bags rice from Vietnam worth about P30 million.

According to Biazon, the 20,000 bags of rice from Vietnam, which arrived at the Subic port on June 20, 2012, were stacked in forty 40-footer container vans and declared as “gypsum board” to avoid the import permit requirement from the National Food Authority.

“A subsequent alert order was issued by the bureau after the discovery of the misdeclaration upon inspection of the 40 container vans from Vietnam,” he said.

“This was a deliberative attempt to deceive our operatives to avoid the import permit requirement from the National Food Authority for all rice importations and to defraud the government of its appropriate revenues,” he said. (Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz, Manila Times)

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