A trading firm engaged in the importation of various goods into the country and its licensed customs broker face smuggling-related charges for the unlawful importation of plywood worth an estimated P30-Million. The Bureau of Customs (BOC) filed charges against Michaela Ante, sole owner and proprietress of Bandini Trading and customs broker Anna Marie Vallespin before the Department of Justice for the illegal importation of plywood from China.
In the BOC’s complaint-affidavit, Vallespin brokered the entry of 43 40-foot container vans of what was declared as “ordinary plywood” that arrived in seven batches at the Port of Subic from June 17 to July 13, 2014. The shipments issued Alert Orders following derogatory information received by the BOC from the Bureau of Product Standards (BPS) of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). Subsequently, it was found that Bandini submitted fake Conditional Release Permits (CRPs), a document issued by BPS required for the customs clearance of goods that are required by law to undergo mandatory product testing at the BPS.
Republic Act 4109 (Bureau of Product Standards Law) requires mandatory product certification from BPS, the country’s National Standards Body (NSB), for importers and manufacturers of covered goods which include plywood and other constructions materials prior to product distribution and sale. Products that comply with Philippine National Standard (PNS) requirements will be issued a Philippine Standard (PS) license and Import Commodity Clearance (ICC) certificate
Information from BPS further revealed that Bandini is not a registered PS License holder for any wood products covered by mandatory certification nor did the firm apply for or obtained the required ICCs or CRPs from the DTI-BPS for the subject shipments.
“This is a very clear case of unscrupulous traders who choose to ignore our laws. We cannot put the lives of our people and public safety at risk from construction materials that were never certified for safety or product quality. Let this be a warning to those in the business of trading construction materials that we are strictly implementing a ‘no permit, no entry’ policy,” said Customs Commissioner John P. Sevilla.
Ante and Vallespin face charges of violating Republic Act 4109 (Bureau of Product and DTI Department Order No. 5, series of 2008 for failure to obtain PS License and product certifications; Sections 3601 and 3602 of the Tariff and Customs Code of the Philippines for unlawful importation and the fraudulent filing of import documents; and Article 172 of the Revised Penal Code of the Philippines for falsification of public documents.
The DTI is also investigating Bandini Trading for allegedly submitting fake Conditional Releases which were allegedly signed by the current BPS Director-in-Charge Atty. Ann Claire Cabochan to discharge the imported plywood.
Last month, the BOC and BPS warned the public to be vigilant when buying plywood. In a joint statement, the two agencies said that of the 31,077 tons of plywood imported into the Philippines in July 2014, about 69% was released without the required clearances from BPS and another 27% released which the BPS is still verifying whether the appropriate clearances were issued.
