A PHILIPPINE senator on Thursday urged the Bureau of Customs (BoC) to tighten its inspection protocols on vessels leaving the country’s seaports to deter smuggling of illegal drugs and guns.
At a Senate public services hearing, Senator Rafael “Raffy” T. Tulfo made the call after Customs Deputy Collector Julito L. Doria said customs officers do not inspect personal belongings and only inspect taxable goods.
“Luggage should be inspected because what if there are bombs, guns, or illegal drugs hidden in these?” he said in Filipino. “It’s no wonder shabu (crystal meth) and cocaine slip through our borders.”
The senator also called on the Transportation and Justice departments to work together to ensure these stricter inspection protocols are employed.
Mr. Tulfo sought the probe to investigate gaps in Philippine airport and seaport security, after a former town mayor accused of having links with Chinese criminal syndicates and her siblings managed to flee last month.
Dismissed Bamban Mayor Alice L. Guo, who has been linked to illegal offshore gaming operators in the country, fled the country amid accusations that she had faked her Filipino identify and was Chinese. She has denied the accusations. — John Victor D. Ordoñez