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The Bureau of Customs on Friday filed criminal charges against Makati Express Cargo, Inc. and several of its officers and responsible personnel over the abandonment of thousands of balikbayan boxes
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BOC records showed that a total of 117 forty-footer containers containing approximately 36,826 balikbayan boxes, mostly sent by overseas Filipino workers for their families, were abandoned
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The complaints filed before the Department of Justice charge MECI and its responsible officers with violations of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act and the applicable customs regulations governing third-party registration, importer accreditation, and consolidated balikbayan box shipments
The Bureau of Customs (BOC) on Friday filed criminal charges against Makati Express Cargo, Inc. (MECI) and several of its officers and responsible personnel over the abandonment of thousands of balikbayan boxes intended for recipients across the country.
The complaints stemmed from MECI’s alleged repeated failure, as a registered freight forwarder and deconsolidator, to process, claim, and facilitate the release of consolidated balikbayan box shipments that arrived at the Manila International Container Port (MICP), Port of Cebu, and Port of Davao from 2024 to 2025, the BOC said in a statement.
BOC records showed that a total of 117 forty-footer containers containing approximately 36,826 balikbayan boxes, mostly sent by overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) for their families, were left unclaimed and subsequently declared “impliedly abandoned” in favor of the government in line with the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA) and applicable customs regulations.
Of the total abandoned shipments, 65 containers were consigned through the MICP, 50 arrived through the Port of Cebu, and two were shipped through the Port of Davao.
Prior to the filing of charges, the BOC issued a Final Show Cause Order dated 21 October 2025 directing MECI to immediately process the release of its overstaying shipments and settle the corresponding duties, taxes, and other lawful charges.
Despite receipt of the order, MECI allegedly failed to comply with its obligations under customs laws and regulations.
The BOC then revoked MECI’s registration with the Bureau on 22 January 2026 after finding that the company repeatedly failed, without valid justification, to lodge goods declarations and claim its shipments within the prescribed period, resulting in overstaying and abandoned balikbayan box shipments.
READ: BOC suspends Makati Express Corp accreditation as deconsolidator
Thereafter, several OFWs and intended recipients personally sought assistance from the BOC after their boxes remained undelivered.
READ: BOC starts release of last batch of abandoned balikbayan boxes
The complaints filed before the Department of Justice charge MECI and its responsible officers with violations of Sections 1430 and 1403 of the CMTA, in relation to Sections 1226 and 800, and the applicable customs regulations governing third-party registration, importer accreditation, and consolidated balikbayan box shipments.
The BOC also cited allegations that MECI misrepresented material information in its registration records, failed to truthfully disclose its foreign consolidators, and continued accepting or processing balikbayan box shipments despite prior abandoned cargoes and operational deficiencies
Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno, who led the filing of the complaints, said the BOC is committed to protecting the welfare of OFWs and ensuring accountability among entities transacting with the bureau.
READ: BOC backs growing OFW fraud case vs Makati Express Cargo
