GMA: DEATH FOR SMUGGLERS

Smugglers will be confronted "crime by crime, criminal by criminal." And
they will be charged with economic sabotage, a non-bailable offense
punishable by death.

President Arroyo vowed yesterday to get tough on smuggling, directing
Customs Commissioner Antonio Bernardo to present an "order of battle"
against suspected big-time smugglers.

The President revealed her directives to Bernardo a day after she presided
over an anti-smuggling summit on Tuesday at the Philippine Ports Authority
building at Manila's South Harbor. Among those who attended the summit were
Transportation and Communications Secretary Leandro Mendoza and Bernardo.

The President said she clearly ordered Customs authorities to arrest and
file criminal charges in court against smugglers and to confiscate smuggled
goods.

"They (smugglers) will be charged not only with smuggling but with economic
sabotage," she said. "This means that it (smuggling) will be a crime that
is punishable by death, and it also means that there will be no bail
recommended when they are apprehended."

Meanwhile, Mendoza ordered a tight watch on all private ports nationwide
following reports that several of them are being used as drop-off points
for smuggled goods.

"We have initially identified critical spots that are being used by
smugglers as landing points for smuggled goods. But these critical spots
will not yet be made public so as not to telegraph our moves," he said.

Bernardo said the anti-smuggling summit enabled government agencies to
clearly define their functions, which hopefully will make them more
efficient. The meeting was attended by 15 different agencies, including the
military, police, National Food Authority, Sugar Regulatory Commission,
Maritime Industry Authority and the Coast Guard.

Yesterdaya TMs presidential announcement on the "order of battle" against
smugglers was made as she digressed from the prepared text of her address
to the joint Central Visayas Regional Development Council (RDC) and the
Regional Peace and Order Council (RPOC) in Bohol.

Mrs. Arroyo said she would like the renewed anti-smuggling campaign
undertaken with the same vigor as the campaign against kidnap-for-ransom
syndicates led by Director General Hermogenes Ebdane Jr., chief of the
Philippine National Police.

Ebdane has publicized names of 21 kidnap-for-ransom syndicates on top of
the order of battle listed by police, she said.

The President noted as valid complaints by the local business sector about
rampant smuggling and kidnapping, citing them as among the major peace and
order problems in the country that impair the business and economic climate.

She said these concerns were aired again by the influential Makati Business
Club in releasing results of its latest survey among member-companies and
corporations.

"We do mean to address the problem of peace and order and 82 percent of the
Makati Business Club (members) said that. In fact... even before they said
(so), I have already said that we will be working on this," she said.

The high frequency of smuggling was among the reasons cited by the Customs
bureau as a major source of revenue leakage that contributed to its failure
to meet tax collection targets.

TIGHT WATCH ON PRIVATE PORTS

Mendoza said reports reaching his office have revealed that several private
ports were being used as drop-off points for smuggling.

"We are verifying these reports and, once validated, we will conduct
inspection. If the information is found to be positive, we will enforce the
full force of the law," Mendoza said.

He assured that government-supervised ports are not exempt from the tight
monitoring by officials of the Department of Transportation and
Communications (DOTC) in a bid to curb smuggling.

The DOTC is expected to intensify its "Bantay Karagatan Program" in
coordination with barangay officials of coastal communities. Under the
program, barangay leaders are helping the DOTC monitor activities in the
coastal areas.

Reports have earlier suggested that coastal communities are also being used
by smugglers to bring in goods and it is also via these "backdoor" channels
that undesirable aliens are able to enter the country.

Mendoza ordered the Coast Guard and the Philippine Ports Authority to
strictly monitor the arrival and departure of seagoing vessels and subject
them to rigid inspection to stop smuggling at the ports.

During the anti-smuggling meeting, among issues discussed were the modus
operandi and the identification of people involved in smuggling and that
government personnel assisting smugglers must be also identified.

Bernardo said the President was most concern about the smuggling of rice
because of its impact on farmers. He said rice seized in 2000 totaled
16,000 sacks but surged in January 2001, reaching 1.2 million sacks.

"You could interpret it in two ways, the higher volume of seizure could
mean that it is worse now or they were there before, but were simply not
seized," Bernardo said.

Asked to comment on reports linking him to alleged smuggling of luxury
vehicles at Subic Bay Freeport, presidential son Pampanga Vice Gov. Juan
Miguel Arroyo called the suggestion "malicious."

The Pampanga vice governor was linked by a report to Gerard Rabonza, a son
of former Presidential Security Group chief Brig. Gen. Glenn Rabonza, whose
company was named by certain unidentified Subic Bay Freeport sources as
having smuggled luxury vehicles declared as "used trucks."

"I do not deny he's an associate of mine. But whether he did anything
illegal, it's not something for me to comment on. Let the law deal with
him," he said.

At the opposition front, Rep. Gilbert Remulla (LDP, Cavite) said Mrs.
Arroyo should not resort to name-calling to hide the failures of her
government, notably in combating official corruption.

Remulla said, "By and large, our people are not satisfied with what the
administration is doing to fight poverty, corruption, cronyism and
ineffective governance. That is the reason why civil society groups are
complaining."

Remulla suggested that instead of raising the communist bogey, Mrs. Arroyo
and her officials should provide the country with honest and transparent
governance.

"If the administration practices such kind of leadership, the people
including the political opposition, won't deny it the support it needs," he
said.