‘BOC-Zamboanga collector not into sugar smuggling’

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines – The family of Zamboanga City Customs Collector Benhur Arabani has denied reports that he is involved in sugar smuggling. 

“The report is absolutely baseless, malicious, libelous and an outrageous lie,” said Jose Arabani, district chairman of the PDP-Laban in Manila, in a statement sent to The STAR.

“For the information of (Agriculture) Secretary (Emmanuel) Piñol and your reporter who wrote the story, Collector Arabani has not been involved in any smuggling transaction in any port,” the statement read.

A report which came out in philstar.com quoted Piñol as saying that Arabani as well as two police generals are behind the smuggling of agricultural commodities through Zamboanga City’s small ports.

Jose said the mention of his brother’s name after three boats loaded with smuggled white sugar were intercepted in Zamboanga City could have been a case of mistaken identity. 

Prior to the incident, Jose said a shooting incident involving a certain Benhar Aidal Arabani, a former policeman and now barangay councilor, and a police officer occurred in Barangay Baliwasan in this city.

“What is surprising is that Secretary Piñol, a former working journalist and newsman before becoming a governor and now a Cabinet secretary member has to sweepingly implicate my brother,” Jose said.

“This is a harsh and unfounded accusation possibly driven by malice that could trigger a lawsuit against Secretary Piñol for irresponsible media statements and your paper for unfair reporting by not getting my brother’s side before printing it out,” he added.

He said his brother suffered mental anguish, sleepless nights and public ridicule because of the report.

“To reiterate, my brother – including other members of our family – has never been involved in any smuggling activities as we are law-abiding citizens who value so much our family’s honor and integrity,” Jose said.