spot_img
28.4 C
Philippines
Friday, March 29, 2024

Nearly 1k sacks of spoiled rice buried in Tacloban

- Advertisement -

Tacloban City—The Bureau of Customs on Friday, buried some 982 sacks of confiscated milled rice at the city’s landfill area after it was found to be no longer fit for human and animal consumption.

The rice shipment arrived at the Tacloban City port on July 13, 2013, and consigned to a private company identified as A-1 Milling Corp., according to BoC at the port area in a press statement.

However, a hold order was requested by the Enforcement and Security Service Customs Police which was approved by the District Collector at that time, citing the lack of import permit from National Food Authority and other necessary papers.

The BoC said the rice item was stored at NFA GID warehouse. It was then affected when Super Typhoon ‘‘Yolanda’’ hit the city on Nov. 8, 2013.

The agency added that on Feb. 17, 2014, the district collector at that time decided to forfeit the subject shipment in favor of the government for violation of Section 2530 (f) and (1)-5 of the Tariff and Customs Code of the Philippines.

- Advertisement -

The statement also said that the claimant “expressly renounced its right over the seized milled rice, which left him no other option but to order for its forfeiture.”

It added that while the rice items were offered to be sold in public auction twice, it also failed due to lack of interested bidders.

It has been automatically forwarded for a “negotiated sale” subject for the approval of the commissioner after two failed biddings.

Yet the Office of the Commissioner was not able to come up with a decision, with the abrupt changes in the Bureau’s administration, it said.

After the result of the laboratory analysis performed by the NFA, which deemed the rice to be unfit for human and animal consumption, the burying of rice was decided.

According to Acting District Collector Jose A. Naig, he created a Committee on Disposition of Goods Injurious to Public Health in compliance with Section 1145 of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act.

It recommended the disposal of the said item after it turned “moldy, discolored and powdery, and emitted a pungent smell” after the committee’s inspection

“Upon my assumption of office, I have worked out for the condemnation and immediate burying of these items. The prolonged stay of these commodities is prejudicial to the interest of the government because we are paying for their storage and they’re hazardous to public health,” said Naig in a statement.

Local media and some representatives from NFA and BoC, among others, witnessed the disposition of spoiled confiscated rice items.

- Advertisement -

LATEST NEWS

Popular Articles