THE airport Customs examiner, who opened a diplomatic pouch of the Japanese Embassy at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, could only offer “an apology for [the] honest mistake” of violating international law that protected such cargo from official examination.
Naia Customs district collector Edgar Macabeo said he had already reprimanded Customs Examiner Pompeo Manalo and his supervisor Emily Balatbat, chief of the BoC Composite Unit at the Pair Cargo, for the incident but did not specify what charges would be filed against the two.
Macabeo said it was the first time the violation occurred and stressed that most examiners are aware that all “diplomatic pouches that arrives at the airport has immunity and cannot be examined by anyone without authorization from the commissioner and from the district collector.”
He said the incident happened last Dec. 3 at the Pair Cargo Customs Bonded Warehouse in Pasay City, day after the diplomatic pouch was released. The cargo arrived Nov. 30.
Contrary to Manalo’s claim that the opening of the pouch was an “honest mistake,” diplomatic sources said there was a representative of the Japanese Embassy who was at the Customs office and presented pertinent documents to prove that the cargo was a diplomatic pouch.
According to the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, to which the Philippines is a signatory, a diplomatic pouch is any properly labelled package or container of any size and weight that is used to transport materials for the use of embassies and offices of international organizations, among others.
In accordance with Article 27.3 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, properly designated diplomatic pouches “shall not be opened or detained.”
Macabeo could not explain why Manalo violated the standard operating procedure and said the examiner claimed that he was merely acting on the order of his superior.
Aside from official documents of the Japanese Embassy, the diplomatic pouch Manalo opened also contained Japanese rice wine to be used in the reception for Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko who are set to arrive Tuesday.
The pouch also contained a photo album of President Benigno Aquino III and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Macabeo said.
Meanwhile, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines issued a notice to airmen about the closure of NAIA’s two runways for the arrival of Akihito.
In Notice to Airmen
B0330/16, the CAAP said Runway 06/24 and the secondary runway 13/31 will be closed for commercial operation from 2:30 p.m. until 3:30 p.m. of Jan. 26 and from 11 a.m. until 12 noon of Jan. 30.
The royal couple will be arriving on Flight JF001 on board a Boeing B747-400 of Japan Air Force and will be accompanied by his entourage on board flight JF002 with the same aircraft type.
Passengers at NAIA are advice to check with their respective airlines on the adjustment of their flight schedules due to the issuance of notice to airmen on the said dates.