Last month, a Bureau of Customs (BOC) examiner — who is posted at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Pair Cargo Customs Bonded Warehouse in Pasay City — committed a serious diplomatic “faux pas” when he insisted on examining the diplomatic pouches consigned to the Japanese Embassy in Manila containing among others, the “sake” (Japanese wine) to be used for the welcome reception in honor of Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko.
Japan’s royal couple is set to arrive in Manila tomorrow, Tue, Jan 26, for their five-day state visit.
“The examiner’s blunder has prompted the office of Customs Commissioner Alberto Lina to order the NAIA-BOC District Office to undertake a probe on the said incident,” report Genalyn D. Kabiling and Roy C. Mabasa in Manila Bulletin.
The report noted: “A diplomatic pouch is any property identified and sealed package, pouch, bag, or other container that is used to transport official correspondence, documents, and other articles intended for official use of embassies, consulates, and the offices of public international organizations, among others.
In accordance with Article 27.3 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations (VCDR), properly designated diplomatic pouches ‘shall not be opened or detained.'”
The report went on to say that “under the same Convention, any search or inspection of a properly labeled diplomatic pouch constitutes a ‘serious breach,’ as international law does not even set any limits on the permissible size, weight and quantity of diplomatic pouches.”
The report said that “it was not known if the Japanese Embassy has lodged a formal protest regarding the incident but a well-placed BOC source said the Embassy was ‘very disappointed’ about the unwarranted examination of their cargo.”
Some sources claim that “Japanese Embassy representative who was present during the incident reportedly tried to dissuade the BOC examiner from opening the pouches as they were already covered by a certificate from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and other relevant documentation necessitated for the release.” However, the examiner reportedly claimed that he was “merely acting on orders of his immediate boss Emily Balatbat, chief of the BOC Composite Unit at the Pair Cargo.”
The BOC examiner’s claim has been questioned, though, as “customs examiners and appraisers are aware of the standard procedure in handling diplomatic pouches.”
Nevertheless, Lina ordered Balatbat to “explain in writing as to how and why the embarrassing incident happened.”
Thankfully, the diplomatic pouch has been released.
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