Pinoy Buzz: Bureau of Customs

VIDEO: Duterte leads destruction of 20 smuggled luxury cars

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">MANILA, Philippines - President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday marked the 116th anniversary of Bureau of Customs (BoC) by leading the destruction of 19 smuggled luxury vehicles at their compound in Manila.<br /><br />Several more luxury cars were also teardown in Davao and Cebu. The BoC ‘bulldozed’’ vehicles worth P 61.6 million, which includes high-end brands such as BMW, Jaguar, Mercedes Benz and several others.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyMY7XIjZqTbo1Bcs5Vj26mSf5aPcPqShfxSc7ivwk1kd_dfyWL9uzBpzlZwCX6q1Gq4x1UZyav-PcEGrTIudgGmZ4WIeoip5gOpLSGhIOGFLbzq6pe6YPELVAbodo-oi5cwxZWlFdsXEz/s1600/crushed-luxury-cars.jpg" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="The BoC ‘bulldozed’’ luxury vehicles worth P61.6 million" border="0" class="img" data-original-height="567" data-original-width="960" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyMY7XIjZqTbo1Bcs5Vj26mSf5aPcPqShfxSc7ivwk1kd_dfyWL9uzBpzlZwCX6q1Gq4x1UZyav-PcEGrTIudgGmZ4WIeoip5gOpLSGhIOGFLbzq6pe6YPELVAbodo-oi5cwxZWlFdsXEz/s1600/crushed-luxury-cars.jpg" title="The BoC ‘bulldozed’’ luxury vehicles worth P61.6 million" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The BoC ‘bulldozed’’ luxury vehicles worth P61.6 million | Photo Courtesy: Facebook/ Bureau of Customs</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><b>Malacañang: No more auction</b><br /><br />Duterte had already made his statement clear weeks ago that he will not tolerate “car enthusiasts who do not pay their duties.” He said, “You want imported cars? Pay import duties first.”<br /><div id="unruly-unit"></div><br />The President added, “Don’t sell it because the situation will remain the same. They’ll still be the only ones who will benefit from it and they’ll be the only ones who’ll wait for the next auctions. It’s legal and it’s cheap because it’s auctioned.” <br /><br />“Kayo lang ang may alam kung kailan ang auction. Binabastos ninyo ang Pilipino eh. Kaya ganoon. Marami kayong kotse pagkatapos ‘pag auction, bigyan kayo ng papel. Legal na mura pa,” he said.<br /><br />Malacañang already placed a halt on the practice of putting confiscated luxury cars up for auction. Presidential Spokesperson told the media, “The thing speaks for itself. Hindi na po siya magto-tolerate ng mga auction-auction na nagiging dahilan para makapag-smuggle nga ng mga mamahaling mga sasakyan.”<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSzpEwJLB-Bv2erdfu_rEfsWaGtI3zogyaQ3qlPuBsnjMjJFDFPkZw7lDRdwhb3Ibaui6mD-dqPQ1ieIRyDPxF5vxRV3vcndiQ0ugTeQPV9HF_FRTNdc3dvB6nqkpY2U_bM-HGA6bgoSV3/s1600/bulldozer-smuggled-luxury-cars.jpg" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Malacañang puts a stop on the auction of smuggled cars" border="0" class="img" data-original-height="569" data-original-width="960" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSzpEwJLB-Bv2erdfu_rEfsWaGtI3zogyaQ3qlPuBsnjMjJFDFPkZw7lDRdwhb3Ibaui6mD-dqPQ1ieIRyDPxF5vxRV3vcndiQ0ugTeQPV9HF_FRTNdc3dvB6nqkpY2U_bM-HGA6bgoSV3/s1600/bulldozer-smuggled-luxury-cars.jpg" title="Malacañang puts a stop on the auction of smuggled cars" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Malacañang puts a stop on the auction of smuggled cars | Photo Courtesy: Facebook/Bureau of Customs</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><b>Modus Operandi: Undervaluing luxury cars</b><br /><br />Back in 2015, a ‘modus operandi’ by luxury car smugglers was discovered by the Customs Enforcement Group when a shipment of luxury cars at the Port in Batangas was seized.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwNPDn3ph1IuohM2bg-1_z-mnxbp_nnDtu5b_YuKgX1EovFJI4VMf7oLsPrhziuyeWb67YnqsT9hWFVsBI5Lc316h9h3yDo0lu0hKt2OalLJi87QDQM3pMvj1usOXkK3GHddlyyNmtX91-/s1600/luxury-cars.jpg" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Smuggled luxury cars are “undervalued’ and declared as low-priced models" border="0" class="img" data-original-height="557" data-original-width="960" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwNPDn3ph1IuohM2bg-1_z-mnxbp_nnDtu5b_YuKgX1EovFJI4VMf7oLsPrhziuyeWb67YnqsT9hWFVsBI5Lc316h9h3yDo0lu0hKt2OalLJi87QDQM3pMvj1usOXkK3GHddlyyNmtX91-/s1600/luxury-cars.jpg" title="Smuggled luxury cars are “undervalued’ and declared as low-priced models" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Smuggled luxury cars are “undervalued’ and declared as low-priced models | Photo Courtesy: Facebook/Bureau of Customs</td></tr></tbody></table><br />In House Resolution 2269, Valenzuela City Rep. Magtanggol Gunigundo asked for a congressional investigation when they found out that importers undervalue luxury cars and declare them as low-priced models.<br /><br />Gunigundo said, “We cannot afford to lose millions of taxes due to technical smuggling due to these unscrupulous smugglers and corrupt Customs officials despite the intensified drive against the illegal importation of vehicles.”<br /><br />You can watch the coverage of the event from Presidential Communication’s Facebook page:<br /><br /><center><div class="video-wrapper"><iframe allowfullscreen="true" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="360" scrolling="no" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fpcoogov%2Fvideos%2F2039932589369725%2F&show_text=0&width=560" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" width="100%"></iframe></div></center><br />Here are some photos from the Bureau of Customs:<br /><br /><center><iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="722" scrolling="no" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FBureauOfCustomsPH%2Fposts%2F2061095497471556&width=500" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" width="500"></iframe></center><br /><b>— The Summit Express</b></div>

VIDEO: Duterte leads destruction of 20 smuggled luxury cars

MANILA, Philippines - President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday marked the 116th anniversary of Bureau of Customs (BoC) by leading the destructio...

LOOK: OFW’s balikbayan box contents allegedly replaced with bundles of newspapers, mails

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">MANILA, Philippines - Overseas Filipino workers (OFW) traditionally send goods like clothes, shoes, and non-perishable food to their loved ones using balikbayan box.  A modern manifestation of the Filipino practice of “pasalubong,” the balikbayan box is often shipped by freight forwarders offering cheaper rates.<br /><br />Ailyne Gumabon, an OFW based in Hong Kong, decided to send a balikbayan box filled with goods to her family in San Miguel, Bulacan through SpeedPost last February 16, 2016. In a lengthy Facebook post, Gumabon revealed how some opportunists allegedly replaced the goods she sent with bundles of newspapers and mails.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEina8OlhrIzlFAsQX6X4neRZ-WDjXGkV6ijEO6aZyCMvz8CZQEOx2JaZUCZ6wZwgXlsYdYFy025rO8m-iDGNJsccwb734nYHpTUnuWfPCDkdyMUyn4n1oVOhDe58IGCMiL9u4NL04j81z9Q/s1600/balikbayan-box-boc.jpg" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="OFW’s balikbayan box contents allegedly replaced with bundles of newspapers, mails" border="0" height="454" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEina8OlhrIzlFAsQX6X4neRZ-WDjXGkV6ijEO6aZyCMvz8CZQEOx2JaZUCZ6wZwgXlsYdYFy025rO8m-iDGNJsccwb734nYHpTUnuWfPCDkdyMUyn4n1oVOhDe58IGCMiL9u4NL04j81z9Q/s640/balikbayan-box-boc.jpg" title="OFW’s balikbayan box contents allegedly replaced with bundles of newspapers, mails" width="560" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption">Gone were the “pasalubong” sent by OFW Ailyne Gumabon. <br />PHOTO CREDIT: Facebook/Ailyne Gumabon</td></tr></tbody></table>According to Gumabon, the balikabayan box contained 6 pairs of shoes, 6 pieces of shirt, 1 piece of shorts, 1 bag, 1 cup and 32 pieces of chocolates and was sent via the more expensive SpeedPost option. Two weeks after sending the box, Gumabon was disappointed to learn that the package hasn’t arrived even though it was expected to arrive in its destination after three days.<br /><br />Through a tracking facility, Gumabon discovered that the box had already reached the country and was under the custody of the Bureau of Customs (BOC) since February 17.<br /><br />Gumabon then asked her husband to go to BOC Pasay City office to check the balikbayan box. However, he was told that the balikbayan box was not there and could be in another location. Luckily, a family friend working at BOC  informed Gumabon’s husband that the balikabayan box was with the BOC but can’t be delivered to the post office since it arrived with a big group of shipments.<br /><br />A week after the incident, Gumabon’s family was informed via text message that the balikbayan box can already be claimed at the post office in San Miguel, Bulacan. Feeling suspicious about the whole situation, Gumabon asked her husband to open the balikbayan box at the post office.<br /><br />To her family’s surprise, the balikbayan box was apparently filled with bundles of newspaper and mail to make the box appear it weighed the same as indicated in the receipt. Only one box of shoes remained intact as the other shoe boxes were emptied. Except for the bag and chocolates, the contents of the balikbayan box were apparently lost.<br /><br />As of press time, the BOC and the management of the post office in San Miguel, Bulacan have not issued a statement regarding the incident.<br /><br />Read the full story below.<br /><br /><center><div id="fb-root"></div><script>(function(d, s, id) {  var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];  if (d.getElementById(id)) return;  js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id;  js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v2.3";  fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk'));</script><div class="fb-post" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=1562057804107175&id=100009089129036" data-width="500"><div class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"><blockquote cite="https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=1562057804107175&id=100009089129036">Nagsend ako ng box sa speedpost nung february 16/2016 at ang laman ay 6pair shoes 6pcs shirth 1pc short 1bag 1cup at...<br />Posted by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/people/Ailyne-Gumabon/100009089129036" rel="nofollow">Ailyne Gumabon</a> on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=1562057804107175&id=100009089129036" rel="nofollow">Thursday, March 17, 2016</a></blockquote></div></div></center><br /><b>-Mini, The Summit Express</b></div>

LOOK: OFW’s balikbayan box contents allegedly replaced with bundles of newspapers, mails

MANILA, Philippines - Overseas Filipino workers (OFW) traditionally send goods like clothes, shoes, and non-perishable food to their loved o...