SUBIC BAY FREEPORT – Heads will roll. This was the warning of Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) chairman Martin Diño on Tuesday to those involved in the suspected smuggling of sewing machines from this Freeport.
In a joint press briefing with the officials of Bureau of Customs (BOC) at the Port of Subic on Tuesday, Diño said that SBMA law enforcers and BOC Lt. Gino Minguilian held a 10-wheeler truck (RNK 394) declared as loaded with assorted scrap materials last May 19.
But the driver of the truck could not present clearance from the BOC.
When inspected, the truck yielded 36 used sewing machines and other office equipment with estimated value of PHP2.65 million which were taken from the Subic Bay Apparel Corp. at NavMag Area here and was consigned to Skyscraper Trading, represented by Russel Buena of San Jose Labrador, Pangasinan.
Diño said that after reviewing the documents and CCTV footage at Tipo Road , it was revealed that on May 11, 12 and 15, five hauling trucks loaded with 109 heavy duty sewing machines, computers, office chairs, 300 rolls of fabric, steel cabinets and other office materials, have passed through Tipo Gate here.
The cargos were transported to San Simon Industrial Park in Pampanga.
Report also stated that the trucks were allegedly rented by a certain JC Rosario and approved by George Cheng, vice president of Subic Bay Apparel Corp., a company which has long been closed.
“Definitely, we will know who were involved in this, where it passed, or was this happening regularly? But this time it will ring a bell to our people at the gate,” Diño said.
Diño refused to name the SBMA officials who might have been involved in the case.
“But definitely, like what we are doing at the VACC, there will be heads rolling here,” he assured the media.
The SBMA official said that they will conduct a thorough investigation on the case and if necessary put men under preventive suspension.
On the part of the BOC, , Minguilian said that he already relieved the personnel who was assigned at Tipo Gate at the time when the trucks in question passed.
Diño warned that the SBMA will not tolerate smuggling in the Freeport and enjoined businessmen to pay the right taxes to avoid seizure and facing cases. (Ruben A. Veloria/PNA)