Recto to BOC: Use CCTV for balikbayan box inspections

Rappler.com

This is AI generated summarization, which may have errors. For context, always refer to the full article.

Recto to BOC: Use CCTV for balikbayan box inspections
With a P3.2-billion ($68.55-million) budget, Senator Ralph Recto says Customs will not have a hard time procuring a closed-circuit television (CCTV) system

MANILA, Philippines — Senate President Pro-Tempore Ralph Recto has asked the Bureau of Customs (BOC) to buy a closed-circuit television (CCTV) system, ensuring there are no irregularities in the planned random inspections of balikbayan boxes.

This was after the BOC said it would implement random inspections of balikbayan boxes as part of a campaign to prevent smuggling of commercial and illegal goods. (READ: ‘Don’t abuse balikbayan box privileges’ – Customs)

Recto said in a statement on Friday, August 21, that with a budget of P3.2 billion ($68.55 million), the BOC will have no issue on procuring a CCTV system. 

Its P3.2-billion ($68.55-million) budget is on top of the estimated P1.01-billion ($21.64-million) daily collection of BOC, the statement from Recto read. 

“With this amount of money, it can certainly pay for a CCTV system… so that whenever its personnel [opens] a balikbayan box, that inspection is duly recorded by a camera,” Recto said.

Kahit nga taxi may dashboard cam, siguro naman kaya rin ng Customs magkaroon nito (Even taxi cabs have a dashboard cam, I think Customs can also afford one),” he added.

Recto added the BOC cannot give the excuse that affordable CCTVs would be hard to find.

“Bumabaha nito sa Raon at Binondo. Alam dapat ito ng BOC, kasi dumadaan sa kanila ang mga kargamentong ito,” Recto said. (The shops on Raon [Gonzalo Puyat] Street and Binondo district are filled with these products. The BOC should know about this as these products go through their inspections.)

The senator said procuring a CCTV system is also for the protection of BOC personnel. 

“They would be able to do their job, secure in the knowledge that they’re on candid camera,” Recto said.

“The use of a video file in business transactions is commonplace nowadays. Eh di ba yung ilang shippers nga, pinag-se-selfie pa ang nagre-receive ng balikbayan box as proof that the box was received intact (Don’t some personnel take selfie pictures of the recipients of the balikbayan box)?” he added.

But for Recto, the main issue here is for BOC to run after big-time smugglers, those who, for example, bring in rice in ships as big as a mall.

“Or, as in the case of the reported smuggling of oil and fuel, in tankers a million times bigger and easier to spot than a balikbayan box,” the senator said. — Rappler.com

$1=P46.68

Add a comment

Sort by

There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation.

Summarize this article with AI

How does this make you feel?

Loading
Download the Rappler App!