‘Smuggled’ fuel did not come from Clark—BOC

CLARK FREEPORT—The Bureau of Customs (BOC) on Tuesday, Sept. 8, clarified news reports which insinuated that the 954.5 liters of diesel fuel confiscated from a local gas station in San Simon, Pampanga originated from Clark.

“The diesel fuel was imported tax and duty-free on condition that it was sold only within the Freeport Zone, in this case, the Port of Clark,” said news reports which came out in Manila newspapers on Monday, Sept. 7.

Apprehending Officer Rolando J. Dela Cruz of the Port of Clark denied the stories saying the diesel fuel seized from a certain Emencio Y. Garcia, proprietor of Gas Mass Station in Barangay San Agustin, San Simon, Pampanga, did not come from the Clark Freeport.

Dela Cruz said the news reports were erroneous as he emphasized that there have been no smuggling incidents of petroleum products inside Clark.

“The Clark Development Corporation (CDC) has always maintained the highest level of security inside this Freeport as a failsafe against smuggling of duty and tax-free goods,” stressed CDC Public Relations Manager Angelo “Sonny” Lopez.

Lopez expressed disappointment over what he described as a “malicious misinformation drive.”

Lopez lamented that the event happened almost two months ago and questioned the timeliness of the publication of the stories saying the news reports came out one day before the CDC was scheduled to appear before Committee on Energy in Congress.

“There is definitely malice in the stories that came out in the newspapers. The event happened almost two months ago and why is it only now that they had published a stale news story. What is worse is that they got their details all wrong,” Lopez said.

Dela Cruz also noted that the role of the operatives from the Port of Clark was to issue the Warrant of Seizure and Detention (WSD) docketed as Mission Order No. 013-2009 to Garcia and confiscate the 954.5 liters of diesel fuel, which Dela Cruz revealed as coming from the Subic Freeport.

In a Notice of Decision signed Sept. 2 by lawyer Rustum Pacardo, hearing officer of the Port of Clark, Garcia was invited to the June 4, 2009 initial hearing but Garcia or any official of Gas Mass Station did not attend.

Dela Cruz stressed that while it was the Port of Clark that had issued the WSD and confiscated the diesel fuel, “it doesn’t necessarily mean that the contraband originated from the Clark Freeport.”