The Bureau of Customs said it was reviewing its procedures on inspecting items brought by overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) after one of its personnel destroyed a toy plane during inspection.
The OFW brought the toy plane from Hong Kong as a pasalubong for her child in Ilocos.
Customs Assistant Commissioner and Spokesperson Vincent Philip Maronilla told ABS-CBN News that their x-ray machine found detecting something inside the toy.
“Yung x-ray kasi natin may material discrimination capability yan, ibig sabihin kung merong substance na medyo kaduda-duda at historically, merong nade-detect na parang merong, merong kinalaman sa illegal na droga, nag-iiba yung kulay niya. So may nakitang ganoon sa image natin sa x-ray,” Maronilla said.
The Customs said that they tried examining a toy without actually destroying it including through a drug detection dog sniff.
“Ang advice ng mga taga-PDEA is mas komportable sila na makita talaga yung loob nung gamit na yon para ma-examine fully. Ang background lang namin dito kasi, itong x-ray namin, marami na ‘tong na-detect na ganyan. In fact, in the previous na mga huli ng Bureau of Customs, itinatago din yung droga sa mga laruan, sa mga speakers, at kung ano-ano pa,” Maronilla said.
“Kaya siguro naging maingat yung ating mga kasamahan doon sa PDEA. Kaya nung ganoon yung nangyari, nakipag-usap kami doon sa may-ari, at eventually pumayag naman yung may-ari na talagang sirain na lang kasi, siya rin mismo curious doon sa, ano ba talaga yung laman nun, bakit pinagsususpetsahan,” he added.
The authorities later found out a clay like substance inside the toy but it was determined that it was not illegal substance.
The BOC said that they have the latest version of x-ray machine.
“Itong x-ray machine namin, bago lang ‘to, halos, noong mga panahon ng pandemic lang namin ‘to nai-purchase at na-activate nga…so hindi siya luma,” Maronilla said.
“Makabago din ang teknolohiyang ginagamit dito, talagang sa gantong proseso lang talaga, may iilan talaga na, siguro dahil nga na hindi masyadong malawak yung mga kagamitan na,” he added.
The BOC will be reviewing their protocols in inspecting goods coming from OFWs.
“Baka naman meron pa kaming improvements na pwedeng gawin sa aming mga proseso, ano yung mga maliliit na loopholes na pwedeng tingnan para mas further maiwasan itong mga pangyayaring ito,” Maronilla said.
“Or kung hindi baka kung may mga ganito, we can come up with a proposal sa mga batas natin, para magkaroon ng some sort of a compensation ‘no sa ‘pag ganitong mga bagay na kinakailangan talaga namin sirain, para masiguro yung siguridad ng ating publiko laban sa mga ganitong klaseng pagpasok ng illegal na droga,” the BOC continued.
