Senator Erwin Tulfo on Monday slammed the Bureau of Customs (BOC) for its failure to properly monitor questionable cargo shipments passing through the Port of Subic, citing serious lapses that could open doors for smuggling and corruption. 

During the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Agrarian Reform hearing on the delays in the prosecution of agricultural smuggling cartels and syndicates, Tulfo questioned BOC officials over an incident involving a shipment that was allowed to leave despite apparent red flags.

“‘Yung cargo po may problema na. Ngayon, sasabihin ninyo, maski na sabihin pa nating underguard, etc., continuous. By letting that cargo get out of your territory, baka magka-problema (There’s already a problem with the cargo. Now, you might say that even if it's under guard, etc., it’s still moving continuously. But by allowing that cargo to leave your territory, it could cause problems),” Tulfo told BOC-Ports Operations Service (POS) Deputy Collector for Assessment Andre Calixihan. 

“Sana doon pa lang po hinold po ninyo. I will understand na sasabihin ninyo, the excuses for congestion. Sa Subic po, lagi po ako dumadaan dyan. Napakalaki po noon. Unlike po sa MICP at saka Port of Manila, dyan po talaga nagkaka-congestion (you should ad held it right then and there. I would understand if you cite congestion as an excuse. I always pass by Subic, and it’s very spacious there. Unlike MICP and the Port of Manila, those are the places that really experience congestion),” he added. 

The senator also raised concerns about the possibility of collusion between insiders and smugglers, warning that loose protocols could compromise national security and food safety.

“Paano kung may kasabwat along the way? Nabawasan ‘yan. Buti nga at isinauli pa yung labing-isa. Pero the fact remains — may problema tayo dito (What if some accomplices along the way took some of it? We're even lucky that the eleven were returned. You see, there's already a problem there. We have a problem right from the start),” he added.

In response, Calixihan explained that the shipment in question was escorted by Customs Police and CIIS agents, and also underwent examination by a Customs examiner. 

He added that Subic Bay International Terminal Corporation (SBITC) lacks a Designated Examination Area (DEA) warehouse, forcing them to conduct inspections at consignees’ private warehouses.

“Doon po kasi sa SBITC, yung examiner ang nagpupunta sa container. If DA requires 100% inspection, ilalabas lahat ng laman. So ang ano po ng Port of Subic is para po safe yung cargo, doon na lang sa consignies warehouse examinin (At SBITC, it's the examiner who goes to the container. If the DA requires a 100% inspection, all the contents will be taken out. So what the Port of Subic recommends is to inspect the consignee’s warehouse instead, to ensure the cargo is safe),” Calixihan explained.

“Ngayon po if we found out na may discrepancy, ibabalik po ulit sa Port of Subic. Kaya po naibalik din po yung mga containers (Now, if we found out that there’s a discrepancy, we bring it back to Subic, That’s why containers are being returned),” he added.