The Bureau of Customs has confiscated an estimated P40 million worth of smuggled sugar, which the Philippine government is sending to the tsunami and earthquake-hit areas of Japan, Manuel Lamata, president of the United Sugar Producers Federation of the Philippines, said yesterday.

Lamata said sugar leaders were informed of the confiscation and of the intention to ship it to Japan by Rep. Hermilando Mandanas (Batangas, 2nd District), chairman of the House Committee on Ways and Means, yesterday.

Of 37 container vans confiscated by the Bureau of Customs at the Manila International Container Port, one contained rice and the rest contained sugar that were illegally brought into the country, Lamata said.

The 36 container vans contained 18,000 bags of refined sugar from Thailand, he added.

Mandanas said a hold order and confiscation order had been issued on the seized sugar and that it will be donated to Japan, which is faced with the problem of radiation contaminated food, Lamata disclosed.

Mandanas yesterday consulted with the country’s sugar leaders and the Philippine Sugar Alliance was in full support of his move, Lamata said.

Mandanas also promised the PSA that he will deputize retired Gen. Joel Goltiao, head of the Sugar Anti Smuggling Office of the sugar industry, as a consultant under his office.

This will give Goltiao, as a consultant of the House Committee on Ways and Means, the authority to open and hold seized smuggled sugar entering the country, Lamata said.

Sugar Regulatory Administrator Gina Martin earlier said consignee, Berina Agri-buiness and General Merchandise, brought in the 34 containers declared as exercise equipment and paper board, and the BOC declared them abandoned after they were not withdrawn since their arrival on Feb. 11, 2011.

She said three of the container vans opened on Thursday last week contained refined sugar from Thailand with Mitr Phol markings.

Martin also said Mandanas was leading the probe along with SRA and sugar industry representatives into the seized container vans.*CPG

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