As part of The Bureau of Customs’ thrust on information sharing and enhancing competency, the Port of Limay through District Collector Michael Angelo DC Vargas together with Special Agents from the Enforcement Security Service (ESS) attended the Seaport Interdiction Training of the Authority of the Freeport Area of Bataan (AFAB) as resource people on 21 November 2019 at the AFAB Administration Building, Mariveles, Bataan.
The event was attended by AFAB personnel as well as representatives from enforcement agencies concerned with AFAB. Collector Vargas gave a short message to the participants while SA1 Rodney June L. Cruz and SA1 Abdul S. Akeem discussed the salient provisions of Republic Act 10863 also known as the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA). The training came as part of the passage of R.A. 11453 to ensure that personnel are aware of the important parts of the CMTA as it is implemented by the BOC to enhance trade facilitation and enforcement throughout the Port of Bataan.
The passage of R.A. 11453 or “An Act Further Strengthening the Powers and Functions of the Authority of the Freeport Area of Bataan” (AFAB), amended R.A. 9728 otherwise Known as the “Freeport Area of Bataan (FAB) Act of 2009”, AFAB expands the jurisdiction to cover the whole province of Bataan.
Seaports, marinas, warehouses and chemical storage facilities of manufacturing companies are covered in AFAB’s area of responsibility. The facilities were identified to be vulnerable to the introduction and proliferation of illegal drugs and other controlled precursors. In order to properly exercise its core function of law enforcement and physical security, the AFAB Law Enforcement Division (AFAB-LED) requested the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) to conduct the 5-day training designed for its law enforcement and port services personnel.
The Bureau of Customs, as one of the counterpart agencies, was invited to discuss the CMTA to familiarize participants with the functions and operations of the BOC relative to AFAB–LED’s core function. The BOC, PDEA and AFAB–LED are members of the National Law Enforcement Coordinating Committee (NALECC).
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PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE (PIO) Bureau of Customs G/F OCOM Building, South Harbor (Port of Manila), Manila Landline: (+632) 527-8259 Fax: (+632) 527-1968
