Tag: smuggling

Balancing the duty of the Bureau of Customs and the sacredness of the Balikbayan Box

August 23, 2015August 23, 2015 Vincent 25 Comments

Recently, I heard news about the Bureau of Customs (BOC) intending to open Balikbayan Boxes for inspection. The Manila Times reported in an August 17, 2015 article: “The items [inside the boxes] may as well be considered as smuggled goods for non-compliance with the Philippine Tariff and Customs Code,” Customs Commissioner Alberto Lina said on…

Crime, Culture, Government, Society

Biggest crooks in the Philippines are Presidents and Congressmen, not drug lords or terrorists

February 5, 2014 benign0 14 Comments

What is it about vigilantism that appeals so much to Filipinos? The thought of taking the law into one’s hands is a common Filipino fantasy. Philippine cinema reflects this as have many recent public explosions of uncontrolled often violent rage coming from ordinary Filipinos, many of which were captured in videos that went viral over…

Crime, Government, Politics, Society

Drug (Mules) Are Bad Mkay

July 3, 2013 Gogs 15 Comments

“Yeah, right. Selling dope always beats working.” Tex in Midnight Express I first encountered Midnight Express not by watching it on the big or small screen but by the music. The eight minute instrumental “Chase” by Giorgio Moroder (Donna Summer’s producer) was a minor hit but had my admiration. I bought…

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Crime, Culture, Government, Politics

Lito Lapid wife Marissa convicted for dollar smuggling!

February 7, 2013January 5, 2014 benign0 15 Comments

You wonder now, where did the USD159,700 Marissa Tadeo Lapid, wife of Philippine Senator Lito Lapid, was allegedly attempting to squirrel into several US banks to “structure transactions to evade reporting requirements” come from? According to an ABS-CBN News report, Mrs Lapid knowingly attempted to conceal and evade US bank transparency regulations… A Philippine Star…

Crime, Government, Money Talks