MARIVELES, Bataan- The District Customs collector in Bataan on Tuesday denied the presence of oil smuggling in Limay town, challenging those hurling accusations, one of which is Shell, to come up with specifics.
Lawyer Elvira Cruz, customs collector of the Port of Lamao in Limay, emphasized that the port is not an entry point of smuggling but a possible entry point. “Smuggling is not allowed in this port,” she said emphatically.
She said that Petron is the only importer of oil in Limay like gas oil, crude oil, mogas, ethanol and asphalt. It has an oil refinery, reportedly the biggest in the country, in Barangay Alangan. “I want people who are alleging smuggling to be specific because what they can only say is there is smuggling here.
If there is smuggling in Limay, it is tantamount to saying that Petron is doing that, so let Ramon Ang answer that, not us,” Cruz said. Ang is Petron’s chairman and CEO. On Shell, Cruz said that it came up with a story on oil smuggling in Bataan and Subic.
“Simply because their sales went down, they came up with the smuggling story. It is not the Customs fault. Why blame us?,” she said. She challenged Edgar Chua to come up with specifics. “Any one accusing us of smuggling should come and tell us kung ano ginagawa para mag-smuggle. Baka merong nakikita ang Shell na hindi namin nakikita para matulungan kami,” she said.
The collector said one of her commissioners would ask Shell of specifics. “Do not create a mountain out of a molehill,” she advised those throwing allegations. Cruz said that they are doing their best to curb smuggling.
One of the safeguards against smuggling is the Load Port Survey that she said is accredited by the Bureau of Customs and internationally. She said that aside from the reports of the port surveyors, they also do their own survey so they can check if there is smuggling.
“Kapag dumating ang barko, sa gitna ng dagat namin bino-boardingan hindi sa gilid. Bago mag-dock sa tabi,
na-boardingan na ng mga tao namin at na-check na ng husto,” the Customs collector said.
Cruz said that she conducts continuous briefing of her personnel to make them understand the flow of their work and be always on their toes.
