Solon wants BOC to go after unscrupulous consignees, brokers

Senator Raffy Tulfo (File Photo: Raffy Tulfo/Facebook)

MANILA – Senator Raffy Tulfo on Monday urged the Bureau of Customs (BOC) to require consignees and brokers to submit additional documents to address smuggling.

Tulfo made this call during the Senate hearing on the proposed budget of the Department of Finance as he lauded the BOC for apprehending illegal shipments of various items worth PHP31.5 billion for the last nine months.

“Bakit wala kayong nahuhuli na consignee (Why you have not arrested consignee),” Tulfo said. “Bakit hindi higpitan ang mga requirements (Why not tighten the requirements).”

Tulfo said BOC should demand tax and bank certifications for the last five years to scrutinize the records of the consignee and broker.

At present, BOC only demands tax and bank records for the last 12 months which, Tulfo said, “is very easy to produce.”

He said a Department of Justice report showed that 76 of the 159 agricultural smuggling cases were dismissed due to lack of evidence since 2016.

During the hearing, Tulfo named a certain “Locar” as one of the alleged big-time smugglers in the country and is now the subject of interest by the BOC.

He said all consignees and brokers must personally submit requirements and other pertinent documents at the BOC.

The BOC earlier promised to sustain the government’s crackdown against agriculture smuggling.