Imported onions from China worth PHP13.5 million (€230,000) were destroyed by the Bureau of Customs (BOC) 10 (Northern Mindanao) recently. The goods were mislabeled.
According to Oliver Valiente, chief of the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service in the region, his people intercepted the imported agricultural commodity after receiving information about the shipment from China which was declared to contain “cream cheese” and “frozen puff pastries.”
Upon issuance of an alert order by lawyer Elvira Cruz, BOC-10 district collector, the shipment was then subjected to a physical examination resulting in the discovery of onions, a violation under Section 1400 of Republic Act 10863 or the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA) for misdeclaration.
Source: pna.gov.ph