By Vhioly Rosatazo
MANILA — Customs Commissioner Ariel F. Nepomuceno, together with Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan, led the inspection of 26 containers of abandoned fresh red onions from China with an estimated market value of ₱86.684 million, as part of the Bureau of Customs’ ongoing efforts to curb irregular importation by agriculture, consumers and legitimate farmers, and local businessmen.
The shipments were declared as fresh red onions and comprised 72,215 bags with a total detected weight of 650,000 kilos. Based on valuation, the shipments have an estimated market value of ₱86,684,000.
The shipments also had a total equivalent duty and tax of ₱9,648,339.33, of which ₱9,073,796.73 remained unpaid. The action stemmed from a verification conducted by the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service-Manila International Container Port (CIIS-MICP), in coordination with the MICP under District Collector Atty. Geoffrey K. De Vera IV at the Bureau of Plant Industry of the Department of Agriculture concerning the subject shipments. BPI-DA confirmed that permits for the subject shipments had been issued but due to the consignee’s failure to process and release the shipment, the integrity and quality of the goods may have deteriorated and are no longer fit for human consumption.
Accordingly, BPI-DA recommends that the subject shipments not be released into the local market. Moreover, the release of the subject shipments coincides with the peak harvest season of local onion farmers, which will greatly affect their livelihood. Upon further verification, the shipments were found to have unclaimed and unpaid entries, prompting the issuance of an abandonment decree for non-compliance with paragraphs c and d, Section 1129 of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA).
“We will continue to act on all reports involving suspicious, unclaimed, or abandoned shipments, especially agricultural products that may affect our farmers, consumers, and legitimate businessmen.
The BOC will remain steadfast in enforcing the law with transparency and accountability,” Commissioner Nepomuceno said. Under the leadership of Commissioner Nepomuceno, the BOC continues to intensify monitoring of agricultural importations and strengthen intelligence-driven enforcement operations under the Integrity, Accountability, and Modernization (IAM) Movement, in line with the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to combat smuggling, protect local industries, and uphold government transparency and accountability. ia/
