Pubdate: Thu, 18 Jul 2002
Source: Philippine Star (Philippines)
Section: Headline News
Copyright: PhilSTAR Daily Inc. 2002
Contact:  http://www.philstar.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/622
Author: Marichu Villanueva With reports from Sheila Crisostomo, Jess Diaz,
Jose Aravilla

GMA: DEATH FOR SMUGGLERS

Smugglers will be confronted "crime by crime, criminal by criminal." And 
they will be charged with economic sabotage, a non-bailable offense 
punishable by death.

President Arroyo vowed yesterday to get tough on smuggling, directing 
Customs Commissioner Antonio Bernardo to present an "order of battle" 
against suspected big-time smugglers.

The President revealed her directives to Bernardo a day after she presided 
over an anti-smuggling summit on Tuesday at the Philippine Ports Authority 
building at Manila's South Harbor. Among those who attended the summit were 
Transportation and Communications Secretary Leandro Mendoza and Bernardo.

The President said she clearly ordered Customs authorities to arrest and 
file criminal charges in court against smugglers and to confiscate smuggled 
goods.

"They (smugglers) will be charged not only with smuggling but with economic 
sabotage," she said. "This means that it (smuggling) will be a crime that 
is punishable by death, and it also means that there will be no bail 
recommended when they are apprehended."

Meanwhile, Mendoza ordered a tight watch on all private ports nationwide 
following reports that several of them are being used as drop-off points 
for smuggled goods.

"We have initially identified critical spots that are being used by 
smugglers as landing points for smuggled goods. But these critical spots 
will not yet be made public so as not to telegraph our moves," he said.

Bernardo said the anti-smuggling summit enabled government agencies to 
clearly define their functions, which hopefully will make them more 
efficient. The meeting was attended by 15 different agencies, including the 
military, police, National Food Authority, Sugar Regulatory Commission, 
Maritime Industry Authority and the Coast Guard.

Yesterdaya TMs presidential announcement on the "order of battle" against 
smugglers was made as she digressed from the prepared text of her address 
to the joint Central Visayas Regional Development Council (RDC) and the 
Regional Peace and Order Council (RPOC) in Bohol.

Mrs. Arroyo said she would like the renewed anti-smuggling campaign 
undertaken with the same vigor as the campaign against kidnap-for-ransom 
syndicates led by Director General Hermogenes Ebdane Jr., chief of the 
Philippine National Police.

Ebdane has publicized names of 21 kidnap-for-ransom syndicates on top of 
the order of battle listed by police, she said.

The President noted as valid complaints by the local business sector about 
rampant smuggling and kidnapping, citing them as among the major peace and 
order problems in the country that impair the business and economic climate.

She said these concerns were aired again by the influential Makati Business 
Club in releasing results of its latest survey among member-companies and 
corporations.

"We do mean to address the problem of peace and order and 82 percent of the 
Makati Business Club (members) said that. In fact... even before they said 
(so), I have already said that we will be working on this," she said.

The high frequency of smuggling was among the reasons cited by the Customs 
bureau as a major source of revenue leakage that contributed to its failure 
to meet tax collection targets.

TIGHT WATCH ON PRIVATE PORTS

Mendoza said reports reaching his office have revealed that several private 
ports were being used as drop-off points for smuggling.

"We are verifying these reports and, once validated, we will conduct 
inspection. If the information is found to be positive, we will enforce the 
full force of the law," Mendoza said.

He assured that government-supervised ports are not exempt from the tight 
monitoring by officials of the Department of Transportation and 
Communications (DOTC) in a bid to curb smuggling.

The DOTC is expected to intensify its "Bantay Karagatan Program" in 
coordination with barangay officials of coastal communities. Under the 
program, barangay leaders are helping the DOTC monitor activities in the 
coastal areas.

Reports have earlier suggested that coastal communities are also being used 
by smugglers to bring in goods and it is also via these "backdoor" channels 
that undesirable aliens are able to enter the country.

Mendoza ordered the Coast Guard and the Philippine Ports Authority to 
strictly monitor the arrival and departure of seagoing vessels and subject 
them to rigid inspection to stop smuggling at the ports.

During the anti-smuggling meeting, among issues discussed were the modus 
operandi and the identification of people involved in smuggling and that 
government personnel assisting smugglers must be also identified.

Bernardo said the President was most concern about the smuggling of rice 
because of its impact on farmers. He said rice seized in 2000 totaled 
16,000 sacks but surged in January 2001, reaching 1.2 million sacks.

"You could interpret it in two ways, the higher volume of seizure could 
mean that it is worse now or they were there before, but were simply not 
seized," Bernardo said.

Asked to comment on reports linking him to alleged smuggling of luxury 
vehicles at Subic Bay Freeport, presidential son Pampanga Vice Gov. Juan 
Miguel Arroyo called the suggestion "malicious."

The Pampanga vice governor was linked by a report to Gerard Rabonza, a son 
of former Presidential Security Group chief Brig. Gen. Glenn Rabonza, whose 
company was named by certain unidentified Subic Bay Freeport sources as 
having smuggled luxury vehicles declared as "used trucks."

"I do not deny he's an associate of mine. But whether he did anything 
illegal, it's not something for me to comment on. Let the law deal with 
him," he said.

At the opposition front, Rep. Gilbert Remulla (LDP, Cavite) said Mrs. 
Arroyo should not resort to name-calling to hide the failures of her 
government, notably in combating official corruption.

Remulla said, "By and large, our people are not satisfied with what the 
administration is doing to fight poverty, corruption, cronyism and 
ineffective governance. That is the reason why civil society groups are 
complaining."

Remulla suggested that instead of raising the communist bogey, Mrs. Arroyo 
and her officials should provide the country with honest and transparent 
governance.

"If the administration practices such kind of leadership, the people 
including the political opposition, won't deny it the support it needs," he 
said.
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MAP posted-by: Beth