CAVITE Rep. Elpidio Barzaga Jr.
CAVITE Rep. Elpidio Barzaga Jr. today filed a resolution seeking a congressional investigation into the discovery by customs agents of a shipment of meat jerky concealing 323 kilograms of suspected crystal meth or “shabu” at the Manila International Container Port (MICP) last October 4.
Barzaga particularly wants to find out if there are customs personnel involved in the illegal activity, which happened right under the BOC’s nose, to combat drug trafficking “and protect the general public without compromising the promotion of international trade.”
“It appears that a review of the BOC (Bureau of Customs) operations should be made in order to prevent the inward flow of illicit drugs in the country,” Barzaga said.
Barzaga said there is a need for the House committee on dangerous drugs to investigate and determine “how to engage the participation of logistics operators, shipping companies, operators and managers, captains, officers, and crew members, port operators and personnel to effectively prevent and combat illicit drug trafficking through ships engaged in international maritime where it has been found that most drug confiscations happen by sea.”
“Consequently, there is a need to examine the adoption of best practices on effective controls of ports and maritime narcotrafficking such as risk assessment, integrated and coordinated approaches by public and private actors, and effective non-intrusive inspections, as well as the adoption of coastal watch activities, detection technology, canine detection, multi-agency participation, and operations, and information sharing which has been adopted by the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission and how it best suits the Philippines,” he said.
The senior lawmaker, who chairs the House Committee on Natural Resources, cited Marie Catherine Nolasco’s paper “Smuggling of Illicit Drugs Aided by Customs Players” which was published on the website of United Nations Asia and Far East Institute for the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders (UNAFEI).
Under the chapter on “Beating the System of the BOC,” the paper said: “The players at the Bureau of Customs have wittingly or unwittingly paved the way for the drug traffickers to smuggle illicit drugs into the country passing through the Bureau of Customs itself.”
“In the same paper, Nolasco also stated that the lack of X-ray machines limits the BOC from ensuring a 100% inspection of all imports. Further, Nolasco recommends the investment of sufficient X-ray machines as well as partnerships with other nations to enable intelligence sharing to deter the smuggling of illicit goods,” the resolution said.
The BOC has said the shipment came from Mexico and arrived last February 24 but no one arrived to claim it, prompting the issuance of a Pre-Lodgment Control Order (PLCO) last September 29.
