MANILA, (PIA) — President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. ordered the Bureau of Customs (BOC) to continue raiding warehouses to suppress rice hoarders and illegal rice importers.
In a press briefing in Malacañang on Tuesday, August 29, Customs Commissioner Bienvenido Rubio said the BOC is doubling its efforts to hunt down illegal importers of agricultural products by validating all warehouses, particularly in imported rice.
“Ayon sa direktiba ng Pangulo, ang gagawin natin ay i-validate natin ang lahat ng warehouses na nag-iimbak ng mga imported na bigas at pagkatapos ng validation ay maglalabas tayo ng letters of authority para magsagawa ng inspeksyon sa mga warehouses na ito (According to the President’s directive, what we will do is we will validate all warehouses that store imported rice and after validation we will issue letters of authority to conduct inspections in these warehouses,” said Rubio.
He also gave updates on the agency’s efforts, reiterating the recent surprise inspection of rice warehouses in Bulacan.
“Sa kamakailang serbisyo ng isang letter of authority, nagsilbi kami ng tatlong letter of authority laban sa tatlong bodega na iniulat na ginamit sa pag-iimbak ng mga inangkat na bigas na matatagpuan sa Intercity Industrial Complex San Juan Balagtas Bulacan (In a recent serving of a letters of authority, we served three letters of authority against three warehouses that were reportedly used to store imported rice located in the Intercity Industrial Complex San Juan Balagtas Bulacan),” Rubio said.
The three warehouses subjected to inspection are the Great Harvest Rice Mill Warehouse, located in the Intercity Industrial Complex; San Pedro Warehouse Intercity Industrial Complex; and, FS Rice Mill Warehouse.
The sacks of rice respectively found in said warehouses were imported from Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand with an initial estimated value of P505 million, according to Rubio.
The owners and operators of said warehouses are prohibited from receiving the goods unless they can present the necessary documents for their rice importation. They were given until September 8, 2023 to prove that they paid the necessary duties for the goods.
“Ang mga may-ari at operator ng mga bodega ay inatasan na magsumite ng katibayan ng pagbabayad ng mga tungkulin at buwis dahil sa paksang inangkat na mga sako ng bigas sa loob ng 15 araw mula sa pagpapatupad ng LOA o hanggang Setyembre 8, 2023 (Owners and operators of warehouses are directed to submit proof of payment of duties and taxes due to the subject imported sacks of rice within 15 days from the execution of the LOA or until September 8, 2023),” he added.
Rubio assured that charges will be filed if the owners and operators of the said warehouses are found guilty. (PIA-NCR)
