MANILA: The Bureau of Customs (BoC) yesterday seized two 40-footer reefer vans filled with $900,000 worth of illegally imported Peking ducks and pigeons.
Customs Commissioner Ruffy Biazon said the shipment, declared as frozen mackerel, arrived from China on Tuesday at the Port of Manila and was consigned to HEXA Trading.
“This will definitely be a costly lesson for HEXA Trading as not only will the BOC confiscate their two reefer vans of Peking ducks and pigeons, but we will also sue the officials of this company for violations of the Tariffs and Customs Code of the Philippines,” Biazon added.
He commended the operatives of the BOC’s X-Ray Inspection Project for making sure such shipments undergo X-ray.
“The importer of these Peking ducks and pigeons may have underestimated the capabilities of our x-ray machines and thought that they would be able to do away with their illegal trade by concealing their hot shipment behind the pile of boxes of frozen mackerel inside the reefer vans,” he said.
BCDA builds new housing units for troops
MANILA: The Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) has completed the construction of 160 housing units for soldiers who were affected by the projects in the JUSMAG area in Fort Bonifacio.
The last batch of housing units were turned over to military officers in a ceremony held yesterday in the Philippine Army headquarters Security and Escort Battalion in Taguig. “This day will see a total of 160 families of our dedicated military officers moving to 160 condominium units as their husbands or wives venture to protect and defend the sovereignty of our country,” BCDA president Arnel Casanova said.
The turnover of the housing units is part of the $15m JUSMAG replication project. Megaworld Corp served as the developer of the project. A total of 64 housing units with about 100sqm floor area were granted to 48 Army and 16 Navy officers yesterday. Two buildings in Villamor Airbase for 32 Air Force officers have yet to be turned over.
The turnover was also attended by Army chief Lt Gen Emmanuel Bautista, Armed Forces deputy chief Lt Gen Gregorio Macapagal, Defence Undersecretary Honorio Azcueta and Megaworld chairman and president Andrew Tan.
The Philippine star
