A law is now being deliberated in congress to further strengthen the Authority of the Freeport Area of Bataan (AFAB) that could also eliminate the rampant smuggling off the waters of the province that involves in the past billions of pesos worth of petroleum and a shipload of high-powered guns.

Sponsored by 80 members of congress, House Bill No. 8001 is “AN ACT STRENGTHENING FURTHER THE POWERS AND FUNCTIONS OF THE AUTHORITY OF THE FREEPORT AREA OF BATAAN, AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE REPUBLIC ACT NO. 9728, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE ‘FREEPORT AREA OF BATAAN (FAB) ACT OF 2009,’ AS AMENDED BY REPUBLIC ACT NO. 11453.”

Bataan Gov. Joet S. Garcia said that among the notable features of said proposed law is, among others, “To exercise sole and exclusive port regulation and administrative authority within its territorial jurisdiction, which shall include all seas, lakes, rivers, and all other navigable inland waterways within FAB main zone and its expansion areas, Including waterways within the FAB main zone and all its expansion areas in the province of Bataan.”

Owing to this, Gov. Garcia said the Sectoral Committee on Economic Development (SCED), of Central Luzon Regional Development Council (RDC III) had endorsed Senate Bill No. 2822 (Forest Resources Act) at House Bill 8001 Freeport Area of Bataan Act.

This means that the existing two ports of Bataan-Port of Limay and the Mariveles subport, rocked by controversy on massive gun and smuggling in the past years will be then under the administrative authority of AFAB.

AFAB is headed by Mohammed Hussein Pangandaman, a former congressman and close friend of President Bongbong Marcos.

Former congressman now Governor Joet S. Garcia who originally sponsored a bill for AFAB, said they had endorsed it through SCED, Central Luzon RDC III Senate Bill No. 2822 (Forest Resources Act) and House Bill 8001 or the Freeport Area of Bataan Act.

Records showed that in the past, a P4 billion worth of smuggled Petroleum products was discovered and reported by Felicito Mejorado, a former agent of the defunct Economic Intelligence and Investigation Bureau.