Watchdog hits reported smuggling at MICP

MANILA, Philippines - An anti-smuggling group denounced yesterday erring Customs officials for security lapses at the Manila International Container Port (MICP) that the group claims resulted in the alarming increase of smuggled goods in the country.

Mario Nieto, founding chairman of the Crusade Against White Collar Crimes, said many importers have begun to import contraband cars, drugs, firearms and explosives and other commodities whose importation is classified as “regulated” through the MICP because of lax security procedures.

“A good number of smuggling cases can be blamed on security systems that are not utilized by personnel who continue to follow lax procedures at the MICP,” Nieto said.

Nieto, however, said both the MICP and the South Harbor already have closed-circuit television systems and hundreds of security guards who can be used to gather intelligence and evidence but are not utilized.

“When I was with EIIB (Economic Intelligence and Investigation Bureau), car smugglers usually brought in their contraband through ports outside of Manila, but there has been a alarming increase in the magnitude of smuggling not only of cars but of assorted kinds of items in Manila during the past few years,” he said, adding that corrupt government officials are not the only ones to blame.

Nieto, who also headed the research unit of the Presidential Anti-Smuggling Group, said port operators have to follow strict security rules set by the International Maritime Organization, including high-level anti-terror provisions.

In ports with heavier shipping tonnage, like Hong Kong and Singapore, a shipping container is closely monitored from the time it is unloaded from a ship to the moment it leaves the customs area, he said.

“It is good to know that experts are being tapped in the redesign of the North Harbor,” Nieto said, citing Manila North Harbour Port Inc. for seeking the expertise of Singapore and Netherlands to bring terminal facilities to international standards.

He also commended the plan of San Miguel Corp. and Petron Corp. to build a grain-handling terminal and an offshore oil tank platform, respectively, underscoring their contribution in spurring economic growth and employment in surrounding communities.