More than 21 tons of unsafe and hazardous imported goods were destroyed by the Bureau of Customs worth several millions of pesos in Trece Martires, Cavite.
The destroyed items include vape products, medicines, chemicals, and food products which do not have clearances from the Food and Drug Administration and were thus found unfit for human consumption.
Vapes, for instance, are used for inhalation of vapor created by an electronic cigarette or other vaping devices. These e-cigarettes are battery-powered smoking devices and have cartridges filled with liquid that usually contains nicotine, flavorings and chemicals.
The BOC said the condemnation aims to protect the public from health risks and to decongest warehouses with overstaying shipments.
“These e-cigarettes are battery-powered smoking devices and have cartridges filled with liquid that usually contains nicotine, flavorings and chemicals,” the BOC said in a statement.
In November last year, President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the police to begin arresting people caught vaping in public and to confiscate the devices.
“Better stop it because I will order your arrest if you do it in a room. I am now ordering the law enforcement agencies to arrest anybody vaping in public. That is like smoking,” Duterte said.
Duterte called the devices “toxic” and said vaping introduced “chemicals” into the user’s body.
The importation and use of vape products are highly regulated by the FDA while the importation of unregistered vape products is prohibited under Republic Act No. 11467.
“Bureau of Customs NAIA will continue to protect the borders from illegal goods and support the directives of the Bureau of Customs Commissioner, Rey Leonardo Guerrero, to ensure vigilance in entry of goods without the necessary health permits,” the BOC said.
District Collector Carmelita Talusan said the BOC NAIA will continue to check unsafe and hazardous goods arriving into the country without the proper approval and safety standards clearance.
Talusan said the BOC will continue to protect consumers and the nation by ensuring, through intensified vigilance and border protection, that only products certified by regulatory agencies with necessary permits are released in all ports of entry.