The National Bureau of Investigation on Wednesday said operatives of NBI- Anti-Graft Division have filed charges against two Bureau of Customs employees and three others for violation of Section 3 (a) and (e) of R.A. 3019 otherwise known as the “Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act” and R.A. 6713 otherwise known as “Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees.”
NBI Director Eric B. Distor identified the BOC employees as Lomontod Macabando, Customs Operations Officer V; and Gamaloden Musor, Customs Security Guard 2, and three others, namely Bangsa-An A. Mimbalawag, Abrahan A. Mimbalawag, and one unidentified suspect.
Records show that suspects Macabando and Musor were arrested on May 5, 2018 by officers of the Bureau of Customs assigned in NAIA Terminal 3 for allegedly smuggling assorted pieces of jewelry from Dubai.
An officer of BOC saw somebody handed a clutch bag to Macabando who was with Musor in the restricted area of the airport. BOC officers blocked Macabando and requested him to turn over the clutch bag but he refused and escaped by running.
Macabando was later subdued and they talked to the passengers, later identified as spouses Abraham Mimbalawag and Bangsa-an Mimbalawag, who claimed ownership of the clutch bag. When the spouses were asked by the Customs officials to open the bag, it turned out to contain 24 pieces of gold rings, 1029 pairs of gold earrings, 155 pieces of gold pendants, 5 pieces of gold earrings and pendants, 19 pieces of gold bangles, 295 pieces of gold chains, and 101 pieces of gold bracelets, all without corresponding receipts.
NBI-AGD operatives subpoenaed the suspects but only the Mimbalawag spouses submitted their counter-affidavit. The couple later told NBI-AGD that they were carrying pieces of jewelry from Dubai and that they contacted suspect Macabando, a distant relative, to help them get a fair and lawful assessment even in the absence of a receipt because they cannot find it.
Careful viewing of the CCTV cameras later showed that Musor was seen talking to an unidentified person who handed the clutch bag to Macabando.
Based on the evidences gathered by the NBI-AGD the requirements of Section 3 (a) and (e) of Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act (R.A. 3019) are sufficiently established.
Graft charges were then filed against the suspects before the Office of the Ombudsman.
