Customs to sell at public auction two seized vessels
November 3, 2009 9:20 am
MANILA, Nov. 3 — The Bureau of Customs (BOC) will sell at public auction seized vessels — M/V 7,107 Islands Cruise and Panamanian-registered MV Captain Ufuk — to collect non-traditional revenues.
Customs Commissioner Napoleon Morales said selling the vessels would benefit the bureau as it would mean revenue for them.
The Department of Finance ordered the forfeiture of the cruise ship for failure to pay Customs duties and taxes amounting to P19 million while MV UFUK, docked at South Harbor, costs about P89 million.
Likewise, he noted that putting the ships on sale will relieve them of more expenses by hiring personnel to man the ship, among others.
Earlier, owners of the cruise ship complained that the continued detention of the vessel has jeopardized not only the government’s interest but also that of the petitioner’s as it continues to incur expenses for the vessel’s maintenance.
It claimed that with only 86 days of the vessel's operation, the government collected from them some P12.52 million and that it will continue to earn more if it will be allowed to operate the seized vessel.
“..The Court is left with no recourse but to deny the reliefs sought by the petitioner upon finding prima facie evidence of fraud in the importation of the vessel. This is pursuant to Section 2301 of the Tariff and Customs Code of the Philippines,” the resolution read.
On the other hand, M/V Captain UFUK was linked to firearms smuggling in August. Customs seized 14 large crates of high-powered firearms at the subport of Mariveles in Bataan.
MV Captain UFUK arrived in Mariveles without notice, carrying the automatic high-powered weapons, which were undocumented and unmanifested.
Documents on board the vessel show that the Panamanian flag carrier originated from Turkey, stopped over at Indonesia and had a course plotted for Batangas.
The vessel carried assault rifles and 9mm pistols which were legally acquired from Pindan gun makers in Jakarta. (PNA)
DCT/FGP/utb
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