PASG PERSONNEL HITS CIVILIAN
October 13, 2008
At around 11am today, several armed and unidentified persons forced their way and destroyed the gates of the Oilink Terminal in Lucanin, Mariveles, Bataan. These persons, wearing Presidential Anti-Smuggling Group (PASG) vests climbed the locked gates and thereafter disarmed the security guards of the Terminal and even confiscated the communications equipment of the employees.
When asked, the PASG personnel refused to identify themselves and did not even present a search warrant or a mission order. “When I asked for their names and purpose, they said that they don’t need one because they are members of a presidential task force.” said Mark De Leon, Operations Supervisor of Oilink. “When I insisted on seeing their mission order and search warrant, one PASG Personnel even hit me on my chest!!” De Leon complained.
After securing the area, these persons formally identified themselves as PASG personnel and after which PASG Head, USEC. Antonio “Bebot” Villar arrived together with Limay District Collector Edward Baltazar of the Bureau of Customs. The group is claiming that there is illegal withdrawal because apparently “The shipment of Unioil did not pass through the Limay District Collector.”
Unioil top official Kenneth Pundanera belied this claim. “How can there be illegal withdrawal when the shipments of Unioil have been cleared and ordered release by no less than the Commissioner of Customs?” “Besides, what is the authority of Collector Baltazar to question us when it has been published last September that he was suspended by the Ombudsman as District Collector for three months.”
“All the taxes and duties for the shipments of Unioil have been paid and this was the basis for the release order of Commissioner Morales.” Pundanera opined. “Also, how can there be illegal withdrawal when we are constantly under guarded by Customs personnel? “Pundanera asked.
Oilink Corporation Legal Counsel Atty. Raymond Zorrilla said that “The PASG personnel may have mistaken Oilink and Unioil as one entity.” “Oilink owns the Terminal in Bataan while Unioil, and some other oil companies, lease several shore tanks within the terminal pursuant to a valid agreement.” “We have already shown the documents to prove these claims to the BOC. In fact it can be recalled that the Bureau initially held the products of Unioil, but after some verification as to its separate corporate entity, the Bureau subsequently released the shipments.” Zorrilla added.
“The Corporation is reserving the right to file the appropriate criminal and civil actions if the circumstances so warrant particularly the physical injury sustained by our Mark De Leon.