MANILA – The Bureau of Customs (BOC) has filed criminal charges before the Department of Justice (DOJ) against officials of a local cargo-handling company accused of abandoning tens of thousands of balikbayan boxes intended for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).
BOC Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno led the filing of the complaint against Makati Express Cargo Inc., following reports that the firm left unattended 117 forty-foot container vans carrying thousands of shipments.
Authorities said the abandoned cargo includes approximately 36,826 balikbayan boxes spread across ports in Manila, Cebu, and Davao.
The BOC said the shipments are now deemed impliedly abandoned under customs regulations and are subject to forfeiture in favor of the government.
Breakdown of the shipment shows 65 containers with around 19,671 boxes at the Manila International Container Port, 50 containers with 16,431 boxes in Cebu, and two containers with 724 boxes in Davao.
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