ZAMBOANGA — NO WAY BACK TO THE MARKET!

Twelve days—and counting.

The Bureau of Customs–Port of Zamboanga (BOC-POZ) continues its massive condemnation operation, putting a hard stop to the possibility that forfeited and unfit rice and sugar could ever find their way back into commercial circulation.

Under the firm watch of District Collector Atty. Manuel O. Zurbito Jr., a staggering 38,342 sacks of forfeited rice and sugar valued at more than ₱87.64 million are being destroyed and rendered completely unserviceable.

This is not simply disposal.

This is a full-scale crackdown against the return of seized goods to the market.

The sheer volume tells the story. The commodities came from BOC operations conducted from 2019 to 2024, leaving the Port of Zamboanga with a mountain of seized goods requiring systematic and lawful disposal.

And Zurbito is making sure the job gets finished.

ZURBITO: NO SHORTCUTS, NO BACKDOOR

The ongoing condemnation underscores Collector Zurbito’s commitment to transparency, accountability and strict compliance with customs procedures.

Every sack must be accounted for.

Every bag declared unfit for human consumption must be destroyed.

Every forfeited commodity must be kept away from the market.

There is simply no room for shortcuts when public health, revenue protection and enforcement integrity are on the line.

The disposal proceedings are being undertaken pursuant to the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA) and under the supervision of the Commission on Audit (COA), Department of Agriculture (DA), Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI), Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA), and law-enforcement partners.

That level of oversight sends a clear message:

The disposal is not a private exercise. It is a documented, supervised government operation.

NEPOMUCENO’S IAM BOC MOVEMENT IN ACTION

At the national level, the operation reflects Commissioner Ariel F. Nepomuceno’s push for the IAM BOC Movement — Integrity, Accountability and Modernization.

Integrity means seized goods do not mysteriously disappear.

Accountability means every forfeited commodity must be properly handled.

Modernization means customs enforcement does not end when goods are seized—it extends all the way to lawful disposition and destruction.

In Zamboanga, that policy is being translated into action.

Seize it. Account for it. Destroy it when required. Keep it off the market.

That is the message coming from the Port of Zamboanga.

₱87.64-MILLION WARNING

The ₱87.64-million value of the condemned rice and sugar is more than a headline figure. It represents the scale of commodities removed from legitimate circulation following enforcement actions over several years.

And Day 12 proves something else:

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