‘International’ syndicate inside BOC?
Is there an international syndicate operating in the Bureau of Customs (BOC) in Manila? According to Fernandino Tuason of the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service (CIIS), there is.
On Sept. 16, 2013, I wrote Customs Commissioner Ruffy Biazon, on behalf of Techie V. Laginghisa who works in Hong Kong, requesting the release of a package sent on July 8, 2013, by William Thompson, her boyfriend. The package was addressed to Laginghisa’s mother, Imelda, in Barangay Baybay, Roxas City.
Until then, Imelda had not received the package.
In the letter, I related to Biazon, the commissioner then, the following: Techie had designated me to be the contact person representing her mother. On Aug. 8, 2013, I received a text message from one Maricar Luis of the Customs Clearance Unit about the arrival of the package. She asked for P12,000 as customs fee. This was paid through Western Union, received by Linda M. Cruz per customer receipt.
On Aug. 11, 2013, Luis, through her cell phone (# 09273083800) asked for another P28,000 for “money laundering.” Techie told me she paid this amount.
On Aug. 13, 2013, Luis through her cell phone (# 09273083800) asked for an additional P45,000 because they found out, upon inspection, that the package contained money in a box inside the package. Luis said this was illegal.
I then asked the commissioner what happened to the package which has not been delivered to the mother of Techie. I also asked him if the “fees” Luis demanded from Techie were legitimate.
On Sept. 19, 2013, I received a mail from Biazon informing me that my letter had been forwarded to the director of the CIIS “for investigation and appropriate
action.”
On Sept. 24, 2013, in a letter to me, Tuason said “the entire thing is a scam perpetuated by an international syndicate; there is no such thing as Customs Clearance Unit in the (BOC) and per verification with our Human Resources and Management Division, there is no Maricar Luis [on] the list of employees.”
Tuason said that “in view of the foregoing, may we suggest that you file a complaint with the proper authorities such as the NBI or the PNP since they have the capability to conduct an investigation on the matter.”
I wrote lawyer Medardo G. Delomos, OIC director of the National Bureau of Investigation, on Oct. 14, 2013, for assistance in investigating the matter, but to this day no action has been taken.
—BIENVENIDO P. CORTES,
senior citizen,
Punta Tabuk, Roxas City
