Customs Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero
MANILA, Philippines—On top of wearing body cameras, Customs authorities are now required to use geotagging technology in their operations to improve reporting and avoid corruption, the Bureau of Customs (BOC) said.
In a Dec. 13 memo, Customs Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero ordered the use of geotagging mobile applications in Customs police personnel’s smartphones whenever they take photos and videos of their operations.
The Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA) had empowered the Bureau of Customs with police authority for anti-smuggling missions.
Guerrero said geotagging must be used for the following operations:
- Approved controlled deliveries
- Auction sales
- Boarding formalities
- Condemnation or destruction of smuggled goods
- Fuel marking
- Guarding duty at Customs’ import exit gates for cargoes and containers
- Hot pursuit operations.
Geotagging was also mandatory for operations related to electronic tracking of containerized cargo (E-Tracc), “particularly the conduct of investigation upon report of violation of E-Tracc rules and regulations,” Guerrero said.
Also, geotagging was mandatory for:
- Inspection of consignees’ offices
- Non-intrusive disposal of products
- Physical examination of shipments within and outside Customs zones
- Body search of foreign visitors
- Serving letters of authority
- Searching persons, animals, other carriers and vehicles
- Searching aircraft and vessels plus their passengers and goods
- Covert and overt operations of the BOC’s enforcement and intelligence groups.
Prints of geotagged photos must show the location address with latitude and longitude values, date and time.
Geotagged photos and videos taken by Customs authorities must be submitted within 24 hours of completed operations to the BOC’s data custodian.
Since the BOC mandated body-worn cameras, alternative recording devices, and geotagged photos and videos, it said failure to comply with the acceptable proofs of conduct in Customs operations will result in administrative penalties on erring personnel.