The House of Representatives will work on the passage of a measure seeking stricter regulations on the importation of construction products to address the alleged rampant smuggling of steel billets.
Agusan del Norte Rep. Lawrence Lemuel Fortun made the statement as he stressed the need for Congress to pass a bill to avert the problem that is resulting in the supposed deceitful selling of quenched tempered steel bars that could have compromised the structural soundness of some infrastructure in the country in the last 10 to 12 years.
“We hope to be able to introduce major reforms to regulations on importation, inspection and testing of steel products as well as other construction materials,” Fortun told reporters.
He earlier filed House Resolution 379 to investigate the alleged collusion between large steelmakers and officials of the Department of Trade and Industry and the Bureau of Customs behind the smuggling of substandard steel products. He filed the resolutions following deaths and destruction caused by the series of earthquakes that hit Mindanao recently.
Recently, the BOC announced that it was cracking down on undervalued steel importations amid reports of substandard QT steel bars while Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission Commissioner Manuelito Luna bared that the parallel inquiry of the agency headed by chairman Dante Jimenez found sufficient evidence that will pin down those responsible for the alleged technical smuggling of billions of steel bars.
Assistant Customs Commissioner Philip Vincent Maronilla disclosed that four to five big steel companies were being audited by the BOC.
It was reported that one of the companies undergoing audit is Steel Asia, one of the country’s biggest steel firms.
Fortun also said that the House committee on Mindanao affairs would team up with the House committee on trade and industry to jointly probe the supposed smuggling of steel products following deaths and destruction caused by the series of earthquakes that hit Mindanao recently.
“The resolution will be referred to two committees, namely, the Committee on Trade and Industry and the Committee on Mindanao Affairs. The Mindanao Affairs committee is taking cognizance because of the urgency of the matter in Mindanao,” said Fortun.
“The reason why we’re doing joint committee hearing is for us to be able to commence the hearings soon. We know that the Committee on Trade and Industry is also loaded with several priority legislations that the House leadership wants acted on immediately. With Mindanao
Affairs also handling the inquiry jointly with the Trade and Industry committee, we can proceed accordingly with the chair of either committee presiding over the hearings,” he said.
Davao City Rep. Isidro Ungab, chairman of the House committee on appropriations, warned contractors and home builders against using low-grade local or imported steel products
“In addition, those involved in the alleged collusion should be held accountable and dealt with accordingly, after due investigation,” said Ungab.
Earlier, Reps. Robert Ace Barbers of Surigao del Norte, Precious Hipolito Castelo of Quezon City, and Eric Go Yap of ACT-CIS party-list group backed Fortun’s call for probe, saying government officials and contractors who have been behind the alleged smuggled below-par materials, including undersized steel bars should also face justice.