PASG insists raid on Bataan oil depot legal

MANILA, Philippines - The Presidential Anti-Smuggling Group (PASG) is unfazed with Unioil International Inc’s threat to file charges against them for the “illegal” raid conducted on an oil depot in Bataan earlier this week. "Unioil has all the rights to file charges against me and my men. But the act itself is obviously meant to keep the spotlight away from the Oilink smuggling issue and its attempt to recover Oilink's grounded products," said PASG chief Antonio Villar Jr Thursday. Villar said Unioil is the sister company of Oilink International Corp., owner of the oil terminal at the Port of Mariveles that was raided last Monday as part of the anti-oil smuggling operations by the PASG. Oilink has denied links with Unioil and the alleged involvement in oil smuggling activities. Villar also chided the Bureau of Customs for its alleged lack of cooperation in probing the case against Unioil and Oilink. "Is the BOC a nemesis of smugglers or an ally? It defies logic that the BOC hierarchy would dare not act on the cases filed against oil smugglers when the success of these cases lies entirely on its hands," he said. Villar said Customs Commissioner Napoleon Morales has caused the dropping of a number of smuggling cases against oil firms in the past due to technicality. Morales had earlier asked the PASG to reevaluate the information that was used as basis for the raid in the Bataan oil depot since its source, Limay District Collector Edward Baltazar, has been on preventive suspension since last month. To recall, Baltazar joined the PASG team in raiding the Bataan oil depot. - GMANews.TV