THE Senate ways and means committee is reviewing proposals to overhaul and amend the Tariff and Customs Code and other related laws as Congress crafts remedial legislation aimed at curbing rampant smuggling that has resulted in forgone revenues amounting to some P300 billion yearly.

Sen. Francis Escudero, committee chairman, cited World Bank estimates that the government loses from P200 billion to P300 billion annually from unpaid import taxes and duties.

“The data they used in coming up with this is simple; they collated records of exports from other countries to the Philippines and compared this to our import records. Napakalaki ng pagkakaiba, at kung papatawan mo iyon ng duty at ng tax humigit kumulang na P200 hanggang P300 bilyon daw ang nawawala sa ating bansa kada taon. So, ganoon kalaki ang problema,” he told reporters.

Escudero said testimonies obtained by the committee at Tuesday’s hearing indicated that the biggest item being smuggled is imported oil, followed by highly dutiable goods and luxury items, and thirdly, agricultural products.

He added that the Senate hearing also confirmed reports that the amount of smuggled items coming in without paying proper taxes “definitely went up [under the present administration] compared to the previous years.”

“It [smuggling] worsened definitely,” Escudero admitted even as he indicated this situation would soon be addressed because the remedial legislation being crafted “intends to make the penalties more stringent and the accountability and liability more specific with respect to officials concerned.”

Escudero said the committee hearing also showed that rampant smuggling could not be perpetrated “without the collusion of government officials.”

“Pero nagkakaroon ng pagkakataon iyon dahil sa discretion na meron sila,” he said noting the leeway enjoyed by Customs and Internal Revenue officials in setting the amount of taxes to be paid for certain imported items. “Kung wala silang discretion hindi siguro puwedeng magawa iyong ng ganoon kadali.”

He said they plan to submit the bill for floor debates and plenary approval within the year, since the committee has completed its version of the proposed reform measure. “Hopefully by the first or second week of December we can push for its approval before Congress goes on Christmas recess.”

THE Supreme Court (SC) has cancelled the bail posted by the widow of former government corporate counsel Jun Valerio and ordered her arrest and detention for allegedly masterminding the killing of her husband seven years ago.

THE Senate ways and means committee is reviewing proposals to overhaul and amend the Tariff and Customs Code and other related laws as Congress crafts remedial legislation aimed at curbing rampant smuggling that has resulted in forgone revenues amounting to some P300 billion yearly.

THIS is how the vaunted government antismuggling effort is being conducted—with sacred cows—as witnessed when the Bureau of Customs (BOC) was almost in disarray after “Big Mama” arrived in a huff and demanded immediate release of computer accessories shipped from Hong Kong.

THE Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday ordered the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) to refund or issue a tax- credit certificate to Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) in the amount of P107.64 million representing overpaid income taxes for the years 1987 and 1988.

ZAMBOANGA CITY—A number of US troops stationed in Western and Central Mindanao areas will be replaced as part of the standard rotation of US military personnel deployed in the Southern Philippines, a Philippine military official said.

THE head of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) on Tuesday lauded the National Police’s program to change its “problematic image.”