Palace: No politics in PNoy's order on balikbayan boxes

MANILA, Philippines — There was no politics involved in President Benigno Aquino III's order stopping the Bureau of Customs (BOC) from inspecting balikbayan boxes, Malacañang said Tuesday.

Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said Aquino only considered the welfare of overseas Filipino workers whose balikbayan boxes symbolize their hardwork.

He said the president did not issue his orders to the BOC so he could appease the OFW sector and gain support for the administration for the coming elections.

"Ang kapakanan ng mga OFW at kanilang mga pamilya ang namayani sa pasya ng Pangulo. Sa kanyang pasya isinaalang-alang ni Pangulong Aquino ang kahalagahan ng balikbayan box sapagkat ito ay bunga ng pagpupunyagi ng bawat OFW na patnubayan at itaguyod ang kabuhayan at magandang kinabukasan ng kanyang pamilya," Coloma said in a press briefing.

While the government is mandated to strengthen its campaign against smuggling, Coloma said the president took into account the people's feedback on the BOC's stricter inspection of balikbayan boxes.

"Pinakinggan ang pagpapahayag ng saloobin ng mga boss sa hanay ng mga OFW," Coloma said.

Still, Coloma defended Customs Commissioner Albert Lina for implementing stricter inspection of balikbayan boxes, saying the agency was only stepping up its efforts against smuggling.

"Sa simula't sapul ang kanya namang perspektibo ay ‘yung sa aspekto ng mga nagsasamantala at 'yung gumagamit (ng balikbayan boxes) para sa iligal na layunin," he said.

After the BOC came under fire, Aquino ordered the agency on Monday night that there should be no random or arbitrary physical inspection of balikbayan boxes.

Instead, all containers of balikbayan boxes should undergo mandatory x-ray and K-9 examination—at no cost to the sender or the OFW. Only those found with suspicious contents will be physically inspected.

According to the BOC, there had been instances when balikbayan boxes were used for breaking the law.

In November 2014, gun parts, ammunition and gun accessories were found in seven balikbayan boxes while 81,529 tablets of anti-anxiety drugs were falsely declared as food supplements.

In 2011, 413 Casio G-Shock watches and even a custom Harley Davidson Chopper motorcycle of a Hollywood scriptwriter, among other high end car parts, were also delivered through balikbayan boxes.

The BOC said there are an estimated 1,500 containers of balikbayan boxes a month, translating to about 18,000 containers a year or around 7.2 million boxes.