Manila, March 9 -- The Bureau of Customs (BOC) will visit depots of oil firms to ensure that petroleum products are legally imported amid the rising prices of oil due to the escalating tensions in the Middle East.

Customs spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Vincent Philip Maronilla said the bureau is coordinating with importers of petroleum products to check their current supply.

"Our Bureau of Customs will also conduct visits using the visitorial powers of the Commissioner: number one, to make sure that the contents of the depots of the various petroleum companies are being legally imported; secondly, together with the Department of Trade and Industry and the Department of Energy, we will ensure that no abuses are taking place," Maroni...