Garcia: I did not meddle with BOC

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia yesterday clarified allegations that she stopped the Bureau of Customs at the Mactan Cebu International Airport from collecting taxes from Korean tourists after the alleged extortion activities at the international arrival area were exposed.

“That’s a very grave accusation that I am keeping Customs from doing their job. That’s a very serious accusation,” Garcia said in a press conference yesterday.

Garcia said there seems to be a modus operandi in the Customs area on Koreans who arrive late in the evening bringing Duty Free bags.

Garcia showed a certification issued by Airport Police Capt. Romeo Gultiano which is an excerpt of police blotter of a lost passport alarm on February 22, 2011 at 1:30 a.m. at the Customs Area, International Arrival of MCIA.

The victim Gunho Im, alleged through his interpreter, Ingrid Tapia, that while they were at Customs area together with his wife, he was advised by the Customs duty examiner to go to the Customs cashier to pay their taxable duties.

There and then, the victim noticed the disappearance of his passport.

Another incident happened on February 28, 2011 also at 1:30 a.m. where the passport of Ke Kyung Hun was also lost as reported by the Korean Travel Agencies Association.

Garcia later learned from the travel agency that the alleged taxable items were Duty Free bags from Incheon Airport in South Korea which were actually not taxable.

The agency told Garcia that a day after the incident somebody called them to report that the passport had been found and asked for a “pahalipay.”

This prompted Garcia to call MCIA and Customs officials to check the owner of the mobile phone number that called the travel agency and it was positively identified as Customs examiner on duty at the area at the time of incident.

The National Burea of Investigation is now investigating the case.

“We are already getting bad publicity because of exactly what is happening here in Cebu,” Garcia said adding that the story of the incident is now circulating in travel agencies in South Korea.

Garcia said she is sending a strong signal that “she will not stop until these bad elements will be weeded out.”

“If padayonon pag-tuis ang angulo, magduda na ta ngano gyud nga mura man og squid tactics depensahan man ang Customs, ako naman hinooy dautan,” Garcia added. (FREEMAN)