Customs personnel at airports across the country have been disallowed to open all pieces of luggage carried by passengers, unless such luggage has been marked with the letter “X”.
The letter X is usually marked by Customs agents, who have subjected arriving luggage to x-ray examination and found these to contain suspected taxable merchandise or illegal items, such as guns and other contraband.
In a memorandum order issued by the Cabinet secretary, addressed to the Department of Finance and to the Customs commissioner, the Bureau of Customs (BOC) was told to discontinue the opening of luggage at the airports.
The directive was issued by Cabinet Secretary Leoncio B. Evasco Jr. during the First National Anti-Poverty Commission meeting held at the Heroes Hall at the Malacañang.
At the meeting, President Duterte instructed the BOC to refrain from opening the luggage of passengers arriving in the country. Evasco’s memorandum is a formality issued for the finance secretary and the customs commissioner.
Airport customs officials said they will abide by the new order.
“But if the luggage has an X marking after going through the x-ray scanning machine, we will ask the passenger to open his luggage for inspection, because it might contain illegal drugs, guns or highly taxable items,” a customs agent said, who asked not be named in print.
Republic Act 10863, otherwise known as Customs Modernization and Tariff Act, Section 420 on Conditions for Physical Examination, said: “This section allows physical examination: 1. If directed by the commissioner; 2. If the goods are subject to alert order; 3. There are controversies surrounding the declaration.”
Ninoy Aquino International Airport Authority Customs District Collector Ed Macabeo, following the directive of Customs Commissioner Nicanor E. Faeldon, had set up “green and red lane” counters at the arrival areas where passengers may choose where to exit.
Red lane means “something to declare”, while the green lane is for those with “nothing to declare”.
Passengers who pass through the red lane, even without having anything to declare, will automatically be examined.
Likewise, those with luggage bearing the X mark after passing the x-ray scanning are also subject to physical examination, “pursuant to the new tariff law on nonintrusive or use of x ray,” Macabeo added.
Nevertheless, no physical examination will be implemented for those passengers who passed through the “nothing to declare” section at the arrival area.
Macabeo said that some passengers with something to declare opt to pass the Green lane to avoid paying taxes.
“But we have alert examiners who are experts in “profiling” passengers and these passengers are eventually flagged down and asked to have their luggage opened for a thorough inspection.”
“If the examiners found taxable items, the passengers will be asked to pay the corresponding duties and taxes with additional charges for misdeclaration for trying to commit smuggling, Macabeo added.