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WHAT was
expected to be a heated confrontation between the head
of the government’s antismuggling arm and legislators
turned out to be fruitful as the House and the
Presidential Antismuggling Group (PASG) agreed to help
each other in crafting a bill that could eradicate
rampant smuggling activities that has cost the
government some P120 billion in unrealized revenues
annually.
After
several invitations by the House Committee on Good
Government, PASG chief Antonio Villar finally appeared
before the House panel investigating the Cebu-based
car-smuggling operations, to assure legislators that he
has no intention of dodging any inquisition about the
operations of the special antismuggling group.
The
anticipated highly emotionally charged confrontation
between Villar and Lakas Rep. Milagros Magsaysay of
Zambales did not materialize after Nationalist People’s
Coalition Rep. Mark Cojuangco of Pangasinan, a
provincemate of Villar, vouched for his character.
It was
Cojuangco who convinced Villar to attend the hearing to
defuse the tension between him and some legislators,
which stemmed from news reports quoting the latter of
attacking Magsaysay and some legislators in connection
with the PASG’s antismuggling drive.
“That’s
very libelous. I cannot accuse you of being a smuggler,”
Villar replied when confronted by Magsaysay.
He
stressed that the PASG’s operations have been aboveboard
and were all conducted in coordination with the Bureau
of Customs (BOC), adding that personnel who have abused
their authority are promptly relieved or dismissed.
Villar
said he ordered the immediate relief of PASG men for
harassing a woman who drove into the Subic Free Port on
a Land Rover Discovery some three months ago.
He said
the relief order came after Magsaysay aired her
complaint before the media, even as he clarified that
the incident was an offshoot of a Subic Bay Metropolitan
Authority (SBMA) operation.
Villar
added that SBMA security personnel involved in the
incident have also been sacked.
The PASG
chief also made it clear that PASG officers will never
ignore an invitation from House to act as resource
speakers.
In the
end the committee, headed by Lakas Rep. Pedro Romualdo
of Camiguin underscored the significance of the
existence of PASG when it tapped the group to help craft
a bill that could eradicate rampant smuggling
activities.
“I hope
the PASG will help us craft an antismuggling bill that
has been declared urgent by President Arroyo. With your
expertise, we can put an end to the multibillion-peso
smuggling activities in this country,” said Romualdo,
even as he noted the group’s accomplishments.
Liberal
Party Rep. Liwayway Vinzons Chato of Camarines Norte,
commissioner of the Bureau of Internal Revenue during
the Ramos administration, also noted how valuable the
PASG is in curbing smuggling, saying that its
jurisdiction should be clearly delineated vis-à-vis the
Customs bureau in the proposed bill.
Villar
said the PASG has started making serious studies on how
to put an end on smuggling which, according to the
International Monetary Fund, has denied the government
unrealized income amounting to P120 billion annually.
He
revealed that syndicate leaders behind many smuggling
operations have been identified while some are now
facing charges, together with conniving government
personnel, especially from the BOC and the Land
Transportation Office.
Villar
revealed that the top five items smuggled are oil,
resins, iron and steel, cars and general merchandise
such as rice and electronics products.
Oil
smuggling alone account for P65 billion in annual
revenue loss. Sources of smuggled petroleum products are
Malaysia and Singapore. |
