The Bureau of Customs (BOC) will soon deploy 87 new customs police officers who have recently graduated from training.
The new customs policemen who graduated on October 28 were part of AGILA (Alagad ng Gobyerno na Iaalay ang Lahat para sa Aduana) Class 2019 who finished six months of basic course conducted by the BOC-Interim Training and Development Division and the Enforcement and Security Service, BOC said in a statement.
The course was designed to give the security officers an in-depth understanding of their duties and responsibilities. It covers a general discussion on the knowledge, competencies and skills needed by special agents in the discharge of their duties and responsibilities following the provisions of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act and allied laws, rules and regulations.
Aside from seminars, the customs police trainees also underwent actual training in pistol and rifle marksmanship, close-quarters battle and agent survival training.
The AGILA Class 2019’s five topnotchers were Lady Claire O. Adorico, Archer P. Peniza, Abdurahman L. Ampaso, Jielene Kely E. Espera and Amil Rafsanjanni A. Basman.
Customs commissioner Rey Leonardo B. Guerrero, in a speech during the graduation ceremony, said part of the BOC’s 10-Point Priority Program is to increase the agency’s manpower efficiency by getting the right people to help it pursue its reform agenda by strictly following rules, implementing policies and maintaining the highest standards of discipline, excellence and integrity.
The new graduates are also tasked, as frontline personnel of BOC, to protect the border against the entry of smuggled goods and other contraband.