Netizens Accused BOC of Double Standards for Apprehending PAL Flight Crew Carrying Onions
The Bureau of Customs (BOC) is accused of being “double standards” after apprehending the flight crew of Philippine Airlines (PAL) for carrying bags of onions.
According to a prior report, the BOC recently caught ten flight attendants for transporting 40 kilograms of onions from the Middle East. According to a recent BOC announcement, two distinct planes, Flight PR655 from Riyadh and Flight PR659, were found to be carrying many kilos of undeclared vegetables and fruits.
The person with the plan was among the ten members of the Philippine Airlines flight crew. The abovementioned products were halted at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) on January 10 due to a lack of required documentation such as permits and certifications from the Bureau of Plant Industry, as stipulated by the BOC in the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act.
It was first reported that a prospective legal action was being planned for the alleged infringement of the law, which included the Plant Quarantine Law of 1978. PAL, for its part, stated that it will follow the process and that the involved crew members will be investigated in accordance with government rules.
In the end, no charges were filed against the concerned airline employees, with the exception of the previous confiscation of the smuggled products for the relevant quarantine process. According to BOC spokesperson Arnaldo dela Torre Jr., the occurrence is not a breach of the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act of 2016, because it only covers massive amounts of agricultural products.
Meanwhile, some lawmakers and internet users attacked the BOC’s “double standard” or unjust or fair system on the problem. A Twitter user laments BOC’s enormous problem with the ten PAL flight crews who brought home fruits and onions while tons of smuggled onions and sugar enter the Philippines.
“Ewan ko ba talaga sa bansang ‘to, double standards,” the netizen stressed in a tweet.
Senator JV Ejercito, who voiced his dismay in a Twitter post, shares this sentiment: “40kg of fruits & onions divided by 10 PAL Crew is only 4kg each. Most likely for personal consumption. Tapos mga big time Agri smugglers ilang container ang nailulusot araw-araw! Wow naman! Wag kami!”
This is also the stance of colleague senator Raffy Tulfo, who was outraged by the BOC’s humiliation of crew members whose only objective was to transport the products as a “pasalubong.”
READ ALSO: Raffy Tulfo Files Bill Seeking to Move Weekend Holidays to Monday
What are your thoughts on this article? Just feel free to leave your reactions in the comment section.
Thank you for taking the time to read this. We aim to give the freshest and in-demand content to our visitors. Come back next time at PhilNews for more updated news.
