Customs suspends accreditation of Mighty Corporation

The Bureau of Customs (BOC) on Tuesday has suspended the accreditation of Mighty Corporation (MC), thus, barring all import activities of the company. (Photo: Bureau of Customs PH/Facebook)

MANILA—The Bureau of Customs (BOC) on Tuesday has suspended the accreditation of Mighty Corporation (MC), thus, barring all import activities of the company.

In a two-page order signed by Atty. Alvin Ebreo, Director, Legal Service and Executive Director of BATAS, and approved by Deputy Commissioner Natalio Ecarma III, Revenue Collection and Monitoring Group (RCMG), the bureau has found compelling reasons to warrant the issuance of the ruling.

“Acting on the status report Account Management Office (AMO) as contained in attached Memorandum dated March 14, 2017, the undersigned as the designated Hearing Officer in Case No. LS-BATAS-A-01-2017, entitled “Bureau of Customs vs. Mighty Corporation”, and after perusal of the pertinent documents, recommends for the immediate preventive suspension of the customs accreditation of importer Mighty Corporation…” said the order.

The ruling noted that the several raids in the firm’s warehouses located in three provinces also warranted the suspension.

“More importantly, the Bureau’s recent of MC’s warehouses in Zamboanga City, General Santos City, and San Simon, Pampanga, yielding more than PHP2.185 billion worth of assorted counterfeit cigarettes, is more than enough reason for the Bureau to immediately suspend MC’s customs accreditation privileges,” it added.

Ecarma noted that the order cut the firm’s privilege to import and transact with the bureau.

“Suspended ang accreditation privileges nila. Naputol din privilege to import and transact with BOC,” he explained.

The BOC official added, “Yung products nila para magmanufacture as finished products. Import nila raw materials just like tobacco and other things.

Based on preventive suspension. Wala privilege Mighty magpasok raw materials sa Philippines.”

The raw materials the company is importing are: tobacco leaf and acetate tow, raw materials to make cigarette.

The corporation is expected to file a motion for reconsideration.