Two Customs officials have been placed under preventive suspension over the “disappearance” of 23,000 sacks of smuggled rice in Zamboanga City, Malacañang said.
Presidential Spokesman Harry L. Roque Jr. said in a briefing on Thursday that a “visibly upset” President ordered an investigation on the “missing smuggled rice.”
“Well, the President was mad because how do you lose 23,000 sacks? I mean it’s incredible. Obviously, it cannot be done in a clandestine manner,” Roque said. “It is very infuriating that this large volume of sacks of apprehended smuggled rice went missing.”
The Palace announcement comes amid a prevailing rice crisis in Zamboanga that raised the prices of the staple.
“The Executive Secretary asked me to tell…that the President has ordered an immediate and thorough investigation of this incident and that instructions were given for both the National Food Authority officer in charge and Customs commissioner to immediately place on preventive suspension individuals who may be part of the scheme,” Roque said.
Although 16,000 sacks of rice had already been recovered in different warehouses, Roque added that Customs Commissioner Isidro S. Lapeña ordered the suspension of Zamboanga District Collector Lyceo Martinez and Customs Police District Commander Filomeno Salazar.
But Roque said the suspension of these individuals from Customs does not necessarily prove their involvement but they were suspended for the purpose of ensuring that they cannot tamper the evidence and that they cannot influence the investigation.
“More or less, we are still looking for half of the volume that went missing,” Roque said in Filipino.
On the part of NFA, Roque said there was still no update on the measures that they have taken.
Asked if the government thinks that the NFA and Customs are colluding in this scheme, he said:
“Investigation is ongoing but I think it’s obvious that, because both agencies had some jurisdiction over the apprehended smuggled rice, officials of Customs and NFA probably have a liability for this.”