In order to avoid delays, Customs Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero has ordered that all pending alerted or specially stopped goods or shipments go through x-ray and spot-checking instead of complete physical inspection.
But a complete physical inspection is still warranted if reasonable grounds are found for such after an x-ray exam, according to Customs Memorandum Order (CMO) No. 27-2018 signed by Guerrero on December 7. The order took effect immediately.
CMO 27-2018 said the new policy “mitigate(s) the increasing delay in the examination of goods and/or shipments in all districts/ports, covered by pending alert orders and special stops, causing port congestion, unnecessary costs on the part of the government, and economic losses both on the part of the government and private sectors.”
Under the old rule–CMO 7-2018 (revised rules on the issuance and lifting of electronic and manual alert orders) issued by then former commissioner Isidro Lapeña dated July 10, 2018–physical or non-intrusive examination of the alerted shipment should be conducted within 48 hours of issuance of the alert order. The district collector with jurisdiction over the goods would determine how they would be examined based on their nature and the alleged violation committed.
CMO 7-2018 also said that in case of alerted shipments at the Manila International Container Port and Port of Manila, the shipments must be placed on hold by the district collectors through the “special stop” mechanism of the arrastre operator.
CMO 7-2018 was, however, superseded by CMO 19-2018, dated November 12 and signed by Guerrero. The implementation of CMO 19-2018, which provides new guidelines on the issuance of alert orders, was suspended by another order, CMO 20-2018, also signed by Guerrero on November 14.
Reactivation of green lane
In a separate development, BOC Assessment and Operations Coordinating Group deputy commissioner Atty. Edward James Dy Buco, during a panel discussion at the National Export Congress on December 7, said BOC has reactivated the green lane under the bureau’s selectivity system.
The green lane, which allows cargoes to pass through without documentary or physical inspection, was suspended in 2017 by Lapeña amid congressional inquiries as to why a shipment of methamphetamine hydrochloride (shabu) worth P6.5 billion was directed to the green lane, thus eluding BOC detection.
BOC, as one of the agencies with jurisdiction over ports, has recently assured in several meetings with stakeholders and other government agencies that it will issue measures to help address the reported high utilization of ports in Manila, an issue for months now. – Roumina Pablo
