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Solon seeks probe of smuggling of brand new

luxury vehicles using Mindanao ports


A lawmaker is calling on the House Committee on Good Government and Public
Accountability and the Committee on Ways and Means to jointly probe the reported smuggling of
brand new luury vehicles into the country using certain ports of entries in Mindanao!
"ep! Henry #aminal $%
nd
&istrict' Misamis #ccidental( sought the in)uiry through House
"esolution *+,-' citing reports that within a five.week period alone from &ecember +*' %,*+ to
/ebruary -' %,*0' some +0 brand new luury vehicles were smuggled into the country!
12nless and until these furtive activities are addressed and the connections of the smugglers
are duly eposed' charged and punished accordingly' the much.ballyhooed government campaign to
minimi3e smuggling will not just be a shot in the wilderness but worse' makes it a laughing stock!
4he situation is totally unfair and unjust to other legitimate importers and businessmen who properly
and seasonably pay their taes and duties in their effort to help the government'5 said #aminal!
He said the alleged smuggled vehicles' with a reported gross value of P*6, million' including
top of the line 4oyota 7and Cruisers and Prados' "ange "overs' a Mercedes 8en3 and a 8MW'
among others' reportedly passed through the ports of Cagayan de #ro City and the sub ports of
Misamis #riental and #3amis City' all in 9orthern Mindanao' before they were transported to
Manila!
#aminal' a vice chairman of the Committee on Mindanao Affairs' said the vehicles were
reportedly brought in from :taly and at the 2nited Arab ;mirates $2A;(' and declared as motor
vehicle parts' which facilitated and epedited their entry into the aforesaid ports!
14his in effect may indicate that some government employees were sleeping on their jobs or
worse' were in cahoots with the smugglers'5 said #aminal!
#aminal said the smuggling reports are not only alarming and disturbing' but worse'
invariably places the city of #3amis in a bad light as a smuggling haven!
14he allegations negate the contemporaneous stature of #3amis City as the most promising
and advancing city in 9orthern Mindanao in terms of economic' commercial' trade' social and
political strides'5 said #aminal' also a vice chairman of the Committees on Constitutional
Amendments' "evision of 7aws' and ;conomic Affairs!
#aminal said reports also alleged that customs duties and dues were purportedly paid by the
importers in #3amis City' which account for the release of the vehicles! 18ut with inferences from
sources that the items were misdeclared as motor parts' instead of whole vehicles' not the least to
mention that they were reportedly undervalued' were the payments faithful<5 #aminal said!
He said the 8ureau of Customs $8#C( is reportedly tracking these vehicles and coordinating
with the 7and 4ransportation #ffice $74#( to prevent registration of said vehicles in the absence of
proper customs clearances! $+,( rbb
NR # 3559
AUG 15, 2014

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