The Bureau of Customs on Thursday filed a P1.05 billion smuggling case against Petronas Energy Philippines Inc. for failing to file a load port survey report on its shipments that arrived here from March last year to July 2011.
Customs Commissioner Rozzano Rufino Biazon said during his filing with the Department of Justice (DOJ) that the government is seeking P1.05 billion from Petronas Energy, a subsidiary of the Malaysian petroleum giant, for its imports of various petroleum products during the period.
Biazon said he believes some customs personnel abetted Petronas Energy’s smuggling activities.
The Petronas unit is the seventh petroleum firm to be charged by the BOC under the Aquino administration.
Named in the charge sheet were Petronas Energy Chief Financial Officer Evelyn Cardoza Taneo and customs brokers Jerilee Canlu, Carlos Baxter, Dennis Ayon and Edgar Rey Gallana Jr.
Petronas Energy denied the charges.
Carlos Corpuz, Petronas president, told the BusinessMirror in a phone interview on Thursday that the company has yet to receive a copy of the smuggling charges or any notice of violations. But he said the charges were “puzzling” as those who know Petronas understand that the company “adheres to high ethical standards.”
“So I’m certain that if there is really a case filed against our company we can clear our name,” Corpuz said.
Biazon said the shipments in question covered 51 entries filed by the Iligan-based Petronas Energy in the ports of Cebu, Iloilo and Iligan.
“All shipments that arrived in the country that do not have a load port survey report are considered high risk and should not have been released from the port,” Biazon said during the filing of the case, his first as customs commissioner.
Customs regulations require that petroleum products are considered high risk and should remain in customs custody until a load port survey report or a discharge port survey and report and other applicable control measures are accomplished and submitted. These can be secured from the accredited surveyor of the government.
