CRIMES AND OFFENSES
CRIMES AND OFFENSES
Sec. 1400. Misdeclaration, Misclassification, Undervaluation, in Goods Declaration. – Misdeclaration as to quantity, quality, description, weight, or measurement of the goods, or misclassification through insufficient or wrong description of the goods or use of wrong tariff heading resulting to a discrepancy in duty and tax to be paid between what is legally determined upon assessment and what is declared, shall be subject to a surcharge equivalent to two hundred fifty percent (250%) of the duty and tax due. No surcharge shall be imposed when the discrepancy in duty is less than ten percent (10%), or when the declared tariff heading is rejected in a formal customs dispute settlement process involving difficult or highly technical question of tariff classification, or when the tariff classification declaration relied on an official government ruling. There is undervaluation when:
(a) the declared value fails to disclose in full the price actually paid or payable or any dutiable adjustment to the price actually paid or payable; or
(b) when an incorrect valuation method is used or the valuation rules are not properly observed, resulting in a discrepancy in duty and tax to be paid between what is legally determined as the correct value against the declared value. When the undervaluation is established without the need to go through the formal dispute settlement process provided for in this Act, a surcharge shall be imposed equivalent to two hundred fifty percent (250%) of the duty and tax due. No surcharge shall be imposed when the discrepancy in duly is less than ten percent (10%); or the declared value is rejected as a result of an official ruling or decision under the customs dispute settlement process involving difficult or highly technical question relating to the application of customs valuation rules. A discrepancy in duty and tax to be paid between what is legally determined and what is declared amounting to more than thirty percent (30%) shall constitute a prima facie evidence of fraud. When the misdeclaration, misclassification or undervaluation is intentional or fraudulent, such as when a false or altered document is submitted or when false statements or information are knowingly made, a surcharge shall be imposed equivalent to five hundred percent (500%) of the duty and tax due and that the goods shall be subject to seizure regardless of the amount of the discrepancy without prejudice to the application of fines or penalties provided under Section 1401 of this Act against the importer and other person or persons who willfully participated in the fraudulent act.
Sec. 1401. Unlawful Importation or Exportation. – Any person who shall fraudulently import or export or bring into or outside of the Philippines any goods, or assist in so doing, contrary to law, or shall receive, conceal, buy, sell, or in any manner facilitate the transportation, concealment, or sale of such goods after importation, or shall commit technical smuggling as defined in this Act shall be penalized by:
Sec. 1402. Failure or Refusal of Party to Give Evidence or Submit Documents for Assessment. – When the owner, importer or consignee of any imported goods, or the agent of either, fails or refuses, upon lawful demand in writing by any customs officer to appear, lawfully depose, or submit to examination or to answer any material question or refuses to produce records, accounts or invoices in possession pertaining to the value, classification or disposition of the goods in question and deemed material in assessing the same, the District Collector shall assess a surcharge of twenty percent (20%) on the dutiable value of the goods which is the subject of the importation.
Sec. 1403. Other Fraudulent Practices Against Customs Revenue. – Any person who makes or attempts to make any entry of imported or exported goods by means of any false or fraudulent statement, document or practice or knowingly and willfully files any false or fraudulent claim for payment of drawback or refund of duties shall, for each act, be punished in accordance with the penalties prescribed in Section 1401 of this Act.
Sec. 1414. Discrepancy Between Actual and Declared Weight of Manifested Goods. – If the gross weight of goods or package described in the manifest or bill of lading exceeds the declared weight by more than ten percent (10%), and such discrepancy was due to the negligence of the master or pilot-in-command, the owner, employee, operator or agent of the importing vessel or aircraft shall be liable for a fine of not more than twenty percent (20%) of the value of the package or goods in respect to which the deficiency exists.
Sec. 1416. Failure to Report Fraud. – A master, pilot-in-command or other officer, owner or agent of any vessel or aircraft trading with or within the Philippines who has knowledge of the commission of fraud that shall result in the loss or diminution of customs revenue but fails to report all information relative thereto to the Distract Collector shall be penalized with imprisonment of not less than six (6) months and one (1) day but not more than one (1) year and shall be liable for a fine of not less than one hundred thousand pesos (P100,000.00) but not more than three hundred thousand pesos (P300,000.00). If the offender is a foreigner, the offender shall be deported after serving the sentence. If the offender is a public officer or employee, the offender shall suffer additional penalty of perpetual disqualification to hold public office, to vote and to participate in any election. All the benefits due from service in the government, including the separation and retirement benefits, shall be forfeited.
Sec. 1422. Unauthorized Withdrawal of Imported Goods from Bonded Warehouse. – Any person who causes the unauthorized withdrawal of imported goods stored from a CBW shall be liable for payment of a surcharge of fifty percent (50%) of duties, taxes, customs fees, and charges, found to be due and unpaid. The amount of surcharge shall be added to the duties, taxes and charges due on the goods withdrawn. If the delinquency lasts for more than one (1) year, the surcharge shall be increased by twenty-five percent (25%) of the unpaid duties and taxes annually: Provided, That where the withdrawal is attended with fraud, such as when a fake or altered withdrawal permit is submitted, the warehouse operator shall be held liable under the pertinent provisions of this Act, without prejudice to the suspension or revocation of the warehousing privileges granted by the Bureau pursuant to this Act.
Sec. 1423. Removing or Repacking Goods in Warehouse. – Any person who fraudulently conceals, removes, or repacks merchandise in any warehouse or fraudulently alters, defaces, or obliterates any mark or numbers placed upon packages deposited in such warehouse, or shall aid or abet any such acts, shall be punished with the penalties prescribed in Section 1418 hereof. Merchandise so concealed, removed, or repacked, or packages upon which marks, numbers or the values thereof have been so altered, defaced, or obliterated shall be forfeited in favor of the government.
Sec. 1424. Removing Goods from Customs Custody. – Any person who enters any warehouse, or any vehicle loaded with or containing merchandise with intent to unlawfully remove therefrom any merchandise or baggage in such vessel, vehicle or warehouse or otherwise in customs custody or control, or any person who receives or transports any merchandise or baggage unlawfully removed from any such vessel, vehicle or warehouse, or shall aid or abet such removal, shall suffer the penalties provided in Section 1401 hereof.
Sec. 1425. Failure to Pay Duties, Taxes and Other Charges. – For failure to pay the duties, taxes and other charges of an assessment within fifteen (15) days from the date of final assessment, a surcharge of ten percent (10%) of the total assessed amount or balance thereon shall be added and collected, which surcharge shall be increased to twenty-five percent (25%) if the delinquency lasts for more than one (1) year.
Sec. 1427. Failure to Keep Importation Records and Full Access to Customs Officers. – Any person who fails to keep all the records of importations or books of accounts, business and computer systems and all customs commercial data in the manner prescribed under this Act, shall be punished with imprisonment of not less than three (3) years and one (1) day but not more than six (6) years and/or a fine of one million pesos (P1,000,000.00). This penalty shall likewise be imposed against importers and brokers who deny an authorized customs officer full and free access to such records, books of accounts, business and computer systems, and all customs commercial data including payment records, without prejudice to the imposition of the administrative sanctions by the Bureau against contumacious importers, including the authority to hold delivery or release of their imported goods.
Sec. 1428. Concealment or Destruction of Evidence of Fraud. – Any person who willfully conceals or destroys any invoice, book, or document relating to any goods liable to duty after an inspection thereof has been demanded by the District Collector or at any time conceals or destroys any such invoice, book, or document for the purpose of suppressing any evidence of fraud therein contained, shall be penalized with imprisonment of not less than three (3) years and one (1) day but not more than six (6) years and shall be liable for a fine of not less than three hundred thousand pesos (P300,000.00) but not more than one million pesos (P1,000,000.00)