To prevent smuggling city wants check on private wharfs

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu City government is calling on authorities to look into the operation of private wharfs in its neighboring areas, fearing the possibility that they are being used to smuggle goods.

In its recent meeting, the city’s Police Coordinating Advisory Council (PCAC) disclosed it has received intelligence reports that private wharfs outside Cebu City are “not in any way monitored or regulated.”

 â€œIt is more than likely that the entry of contrabands to Cebu City and province ensue in these unmonitored private wharfs,” reads the minutes of the meeting furnished to the press.

The PCAC considers the reports as “alarming.”

“Exchange and transport of smuggled products, drugs and prohibited or illegally-seized goods, and other related illegal activities are also likely to take place in these ports,” the minutes read further.

PCAC has requested the PNP Maritime group, the Cebu Port Authority, the Philippine Navy and other law enforcement agencies to look into the wharfs’ operations.

 PCAC believes it is necessary to establish guidelines “that would safeguard the entry of contrabands and eliminate other related illegal activity.”

 Monitoring these privately-owned quays will prevent or deter the entry of contrabands, and minimize, if not eliminate, related illegal acti-vities, the body said.

In an interview, CPA General Manager Edmund Tan said they are monitoring 100 private registered wharfs operating in Cebu. He said they have also received unconfirmed reports of alleged smuggling of goods and have forwarded the information to the Bureau of Customs (BOC).

 He said it is no longer the CPA’s call but the BOC to check and verify the reports.

 â€œUnless kung i-report g’yud diri nato, ato g’yung i-accommodate. We will not condone such illegal activities in our ports,” Tan told The FREEMAN.

 The CPA official, nonetheless, encouraged PCAC to coordinate with them and with BOC. 

Meanwhile, the Philippine Navy said it has not received the smuggling report.

Ensign Jaypee Abuan, the agency spokesperson, said that their basic mandate is to secure the territorial waters and that they are not the primary government agency that looks into the matter.

Abuan said looking into smuggled goods is a collaborative effort of the Philippine Coast Guard, which primarily check the entry of commercial vessels; the Philippine Port Authority, which mana-ges the ports and wharfs; and the BOC, which screens the entry of goods.

“We are to protect the territorial seas and second na lang ‘yung to augment the force in doing maritime law enforcement,” Abuan said in a phone interview.

Abuan said PN’s recent involvement as far as curbing smuggling activities is concerned is with the Province of Cebu’s Bantay Dagat in monitoring the seas from illegal fishers and of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ campaign in transporting illegal-logged trees.

“Yun lang ang latest involvement namin pero sa smuggling wala kaming report at kung meron man kaming report o kung meron mang makipagtulungan sa amin handa naman kaming makipag-isa,” Abuan said. — /JMO (FREEMAN)