CEBU, Philippines - The House Committee on Ways and Means will be investigating the multi-billion peso loan secured for the X-ray machines intended for the Bureau of Customs.
Committee chairman Hermilando Mandanas, who was in Cebu recently for the Congressional Forum said that the committee will investigate whether the number of scanners or X-ray machines was the right number or in excess.
He said that is also important to know whether these units are being used efficiently and, most importantly, whether or not the scanners were overpriced.
Earlier, the BOC X-ray Inspection Project reported in their accomplishment report that it has facilitated the release of thousands of containers without human intervention.
By paying only $5 (roughly P250.00) per Twenty Equivalent Unit as x-ray scanning fee which translate into a substantial savings of money on the part of importer or broker as compared to the P7,000 stripping fee.
Ma. Lourdes Mangaoang, head of the said project, cited in her accomplishment report that it only takes around 15 minutes for the X-ray scanning process to be completed as compared to the physical examination which entails one day to finish.
In her report, the X-Ray Inspection Project can be traced to the creation of a unit called the Task Force X-ray which was organized after BOC accepted a donation of a mobile X-ray van for cargo inspection from the Societe Generale de Surveilance, Inc. in May 1993.
To effectively use the newly-acquired equipment at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, former Customs commissioner Guillermo Parayno organized the Task Force X-Ray composed mostly of officers and personnel coming from the Enforcement and Security Service, Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service and the Assessment Division, who were all rendering part-time duties in the task force, in addition to their respective regular work assignments at the NAIA Collection District.
Following success, Parayno moved to acquire more state-of-the-art equipment in cargo examination.
Parayno succeeded in getting two more mobile X-ray scanners from the SGS and ordered five fixed X-ray scanners for baggage and loose cargo from the Rapiscan Security Products, an American company specializing in x-ray systems, through a World Bank loan.
These are the following recipient ports: Port of Manila, Manila International Container Port, Port of Subic, Port of Clark, Port of Batangas, Port of Cebu, Port of Davao, Port of Cagayan de Oro, Sub-Port of General Santos and Port of Zamboanga. (FREEMAN NEWS)