CAMANAVA cops ‘powerless’ to run after smugglers

Unscrupulous traders are reportedly using the northern part of Metro Manila as the transshipment point of smuggled goods but local police authorities seem "powerless" to run after the smugglers.

"We have no mandate to directly operate against them," a high-ranking police official, who talked to The STAR said on condition of anonymity.

The source said that aside from being well entrenched, smugglers in the Northern Metropolis "enjoy protection from a high-profile and well-respected politician."

The politician, according to the source, kept pushing his "weight" on the local police and lately became more daring as his official car with a single digit plate number was seen escorting a cargo truck suspected of carrying smuggled cigarettes.

"Smugglers are operating with ease right under our very noses and yet we seem powerless to clamp them down," the source said.

He bemoaned the present system which disallows local police to go directly against and seize suspected smuggled goods unless in the presence of the Bureau of Customs (BOC) personnel.

"Only recently, an informant told us that he was helping unload from a cargo truck cartons of suspected smuggled onions and garlic within our area of jurisdiction but my office’s coordination efforts with Customs officials were futile. We were given the run around," the source said.

He said that the local police authorities could not do much in the government’s renewed all-out war against smuggling.

The source said the recent seizure by the local police in Malabon City of at least two container vans suspected to contain hot items did not succeed because they were prevented by Customs personnel from opening them. The container vans were turned over to the custody of the BOC.

Meanwhile, Northern Metro policemen expressed opposition yesterday to the Metro Manila mayors’ plans to take full control of the police. The policemen said that aside from the fact that the schemes were unconstitutional, they don’t want to be beholden to the mayors.

They said the mayors have already enough powers over the police and allowing them to hire and fire the police would only lead to abuses.

"Politics is different from law enforcement and besides, the scheme would only promote fragmentation among the police. Why don’t the mayors just help us strengthen the organization?" they said.