New agency to replace EIIB created

It’s time to slay the dragon known as smuggling.

President Arroyo has officially formed a new body principally empowered to wage her administration’s all-out war against smuggling syndicates throughout the country.

Mrs. Arroyo issued Executive Order (EO) No. 155, dated Dec. 11, creating the Anti-Smuggling Intelligence and Investigation Center. She has empowered the ASIIC to investigate and interdict smuggling and other acts violating the Tariff and Customs Code of the Philippines, which are "committed on large scale or by criminal syndicates." Mrs. Arroyo placed the new anti-smuggling body under the supervision and control of the Office of the President.

She announced the creation of ASIIC last week. The new anti-smuggling body will be headed by retired Philippine National Police (PNP) Gen. Miguel Coronel who, prior to his retirement, headed the national anti-drug campaign of the Arroyo administration.

The President said the ASIIC shall replace the defunct Economic Intelligence and Investigation Bureau after she sustained the decision of deposed President Joseph Estrada to abolish the agency.

"Smuggling and other acts contrary to Customs laws committed on a large scale or by criminal syndicates pose a serious and direct threat to the national economy by depriving the government of much-needed revenues and unfairly competing with legitimate businesses, and to the national security through the introduction into the country of dangerous drugs or prohibited articles," the President said in EO 155.

Revenues lost to these smuggling activities — in the non-payment of tariffs and duties on imported products collected by the Bureau of Customs — have bled the government and hobbled it with a budget deficit of over P183 billion as of October this year. The budget deficit was traced to low revenue and tax collections.

Under EO 155, Mrs. Arroyo designated the following law enforcement agencies to comprise the ASIIC center: the Presidential Security Group (PSG), Intelligence Services of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP),Customs bureau, the PNP, the Coast Guard and the Department of Justice.

If and when necessary, the President said the ASIIC center will be augmented by other elements of the Army, Navy, the Air Force and the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA).

To help the President exercise supervision and control over the new anti-smuggling body, a five-member Cabinet Oversight Committee on Anti-Smuggling was formed under EO 155.

This Cabinet oversight committee will be chaired by the finance secretary and will have among its members the secretaries of justice, defense, interior and local government, transportation and communications and the national security adviser.

The President has ordered Customs Commissioner Antonio Bernardo to deputize and issue special written authorizations to the members of ASCII’S personnel as Customs agents.

Bernardo has been ordered by the President to organize a pool of hearing officers to expedite administrative seizure proceedings referred to it by the center.

The President alos ordered the DOJ secretary to organize a special team of prosecutors to expedite criminal actions for smuggling and other acts contrary to Republic Act 1937 and other applicable laws.