DAVAO CITY — Enraged over the handling of cargoes on viral video, President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday ordered the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), and the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) to investigate courier service J&T Express over mishandled parcels.
J&T Express became embroiled in a controversy after a viral video of its staff mishandling parcels made rounds on social media.
In a televised public address, Duterte stated “May isa dito na madalas akong makatanggap ng complaint. You better shape up. But I’d like you to know that I am ordering now because CIDG is listening, the NBI to investigate you, at ang BIR to look into your finances”.
“Yung mga padala, nawawala. Tapos pagdating, pinapalitan, wala ng laman,” he added.
“Because of the so many complaints but . . . I will close you down. Sigurado ‘yan sasarahan talaga kita whether you like it or not after the CIDG and the NBI would finish their investigation and would point a liability sa inyo,” Duterte added.
“I am not condemning you now. I am not also insinuating that you are liable or guilty of doing it. It would depend greatly on what is the result of the investigation,” the President said in a public address aired Tuesday evening.
Leonardo Alampay, branding manager of J&T Express in an interview with ANC’s Market Edge said, “It is a case of cargo mishandling, I would like to add that it is deliberate, this violates every single standard procedure we have for the warehouse and currently we have the legal team that investigates the entirety of the situation”.
The President encouraged the public to file complaints against J&T Express with the police.
The Indonesia-based courier service already issued an apology and promised to investigate the incident.
The workers in the video placed goods on the ground and were not wearing protective gear required during the coronavirus pandemic. This “violates every single standard procedure” and could be grounds for termination, said Alampay.-Newsline
