MANILA—Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan cited in contempt a Bureau of Customs (BOC) official linked to alleged smuggling operations at the Port of Subic during a Senate Committee on Agriculture, Food, and Agrarian Reform hearing.

BOC–Port of Subic Acting Chief of Assessment Juan San Andres was cited in contempt after senators found inconsistencies in his statements regarding the release of three containers carrying smuggled agricultural products.

“On the basis of the motion as well as the explanation of Mr. San Andres, together with clarification from Usec. Carlos Carag, we second the motion: you are cited in contempt by this committee,” Pangilinan, who chairs the committee, said.

The motion came from Senator Erwin Tulfo, who accused San Andres of lying to the panel after Department of Agriculture (DA) Undersecretary Carlos Carag confirmed there was an attempt to transport the three containers—consigned to Berches Consumer Goods Trading—to a non-existent warehouse in Angat, Bulacan.

San Andres had told senators that the transfer for a 100% physical examination at the supposed Berches facility was conducted in coordination with the DA’s Inspectorate and Enforcement (DAIE) unit. Carag contradicted this, saying the DAIE pursued several BOC personnel only after learning the containers had been released from the port.

Although the containers were eventually returned to the Port of Subic, Pangilinan questioned San Andres’ account of the events, particularly the issuance of a mission order following his reported instructions for a BOC staff member to join the underguarding.

San Andres denied giving such instructions and failed to clarify why the containers were released despite indications they contained smuggled agricultural goods.