PCG wants entry ports for foreign private yacht to prevent entry of illegal drugs

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Tuesday proposed the creation of entry ports for foreign private yachts to prevent the entry of illegal drugs into the country.

PCG Deputy Chief of Coast Guard Staff for Maritime Safety Services Capt. Jomark Angue made the proposal at the Senate inquiry on the 1.4 tons of shabu seized in Alitagtag, Batangas.

Angue said the current policy allows foreign pleasure boats to proceed directly to resorts and islands in the country without being inspected by the PCG.

According to the PCG official, an entry port is needed so government agencies such as the Coast Guard, the Bureau of Customs, Bureau of Immigration, and Bureau of Quarantine, can inspect and conduct boarding formalities to the foreign private boats and for cost-efficiency purposes.

"We need some legislation so that we can better perform our function in checking  particularly this pleasure yacht. As per our current policy, the pleasure yachts are not subjected to our inspection unless it is being used to carry passengers or cargo, but if it is for personal use, we have less jurisdiction on that," Angue said.

"May we recommend, since we are in an archipelagic country…maybe we can designate a mandatory port for every region or province as the need arises, kung ilan per region or ilan per province, mandatory entry port for all these pleasure yachts coming from outside of the Philippines, not those Philippine flag pleasure yacht or the domestic registered pleasure yacht, but for those who came from foreign port," he added.

It was Interior Secretary Benjamin "Benhur" Abalos Jr. who first raised the need to change the current PCG policies.

The Senate motu proprio inquiry was launched after authorities rectified the volume of drugs that were seized in Batangas on April 15.

The drugs were confiscated in Alitagtag, Batangas and were originally estimated to be over two tons in weight, with a value of over P13.3 billion.

Two days later, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) announced a revision of the figue, saying that the shabu seized came to around 1.4 tons, worth P9.68 billion.

The April 15 drug haul was considered by Abalos to be the biggest single haul of illegal drugs confiscated in the Philippines yet.

During the hearing, Abalos stressed that there was no pilferage during the operations and showed videos of himself anew stating that the volume that he initially announced was just an estimate.

Last April 15, authorities seized around 1.4 tons of shabu in Alitagtag, Batangas. This was considered by Abalos as the biggest single haul of illegal drugs confiscated in the Philippines yet.

As the case is now pending in courts, the Senate panel conducted an executive session to discuss the details of the drug bust.

Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa, who presided over the hearing, congratulated the DILG for this "accomplishment."

"I just want to set the record straight.  Wala akong duda. Gusto ko lang ipaliwanag ninyo sa buong kapuluan kung ano ang nangyari talaga," he said.

The Philippine National Police earlier said it is looking into the possibility that a drug syndicate was behind the confiscated illegal drugs.

Authorities are also checking if the seized shabu was only part of a bigger shipment of illegal drugs.—AOL/ VAL GMA Integrated News