Man ‘surveilling’ BOC employees nabbed in Manila

A MAN “acting suspiciously” was arrested last Tuesday, January 25, 2022, at the Manila International Container Port (MICP) and reportedly yielded a fully-loaded pistol, a fragmentation grenade—and several photos and a list of vehicle plate numbers of customs frontline personnel in his cellular phone.

Although both the Bureau of Customs (BOC) and the Manila Police District (MPD) are maintaining a tight hold on information, BOC insiders said the suspect, after initial interrogation by the BOC Customs Police, is now reportedly under the custody of the MPD.

(The suspect’s name is being withheld on the request of the authorities).

Late afternoon last Tuesday, sources said MICP private security guards (blue guards) noticed the suspect allegedly wandering around the port’s parking lot and taking photos of the plate number of several vehicles.

When accosted, the man claimed to be a “visitor” of a senior customs appraiser; when brought before the official, he promptly denied knowing the suspect.

The blue guards then coordinated with the port’s Customs Police (Enforcement and Security Service) and on being frisked, the man yielded a loaded .45 caliber pistol and a fragmentation grenade, among others. His getaway vehicle, a motorcycle, was also confiscated, sources said.

Sources also said the man’s cellphone showed the photographs of several MICP frontline employees and the plate number of their vehicles.

The thread of one text conversation also allegedly disclosed the man was specifically tasked to monitor two senior frontline employees.

The suspect also allegedly tried to wiggle out of his predicament by pretending to be “high on something” and that he is not on his right mind by giving conflicting and senseless replies to questions.

Employees in near panic mode

The arrest has sent customs employees, especially at the MICP and the Port of Manila (POM), in near panic mode, after three previous shooting incidents in the past two months that killed one senior appraiser and seriously wounded two others assigned at both ports.

Rommel Francisco, president of the BOC Employees Association (BOCEA) noted that before Christmas, Atty. Melvin Tan, assigned at the office of Deputy Commissioner for Internal Administration (IAG) Donato San Juan, was ambushed in Las Piñas City while on his way home.

Tan sustained 7 gunshot wounds but luckily survived.

The shooting was followed last January 7, 2022 when Eudes Nerpio, MICP principal appraiser, was shot dead in Binondo, Manila.

A week later, Ryan Balite Difuntorum, principal examiner at the POM, was also shot in Sampaloc, Manila, while on his way home. He suffered a gunshot wound in the neck but survived.

Incidentally, Tan and Nerpio are included in the so-called ‘BOC Corrupt List’ that contained 14 names that was received by Comm. Rey Leonardo Guerrero and the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) last November 29, 2021.

Although Difuntorum was not in the list, a customs employee surnamed ‘Balite’ is included.

The arrest of the suspect last Tuesday became a cause of alarm for employees as the those being surveilled are not included in the BOC corrupt list.

“Lahat na kami dito, target patayin,” bewailed one of the sources who refused to be named.

Raising fear that BOC employees are now in the cross hairs of paid assassins under the pay of a still to be identified  ‘mastermind’ was the sudden appearance of a still unnamed lawyer at the MPD to represent the suspect.

In an effort to allay the fear of customs employees, Guerrero, in a press conference on Thursday, January 27, 2022, said they have “offered protection” to those in the list; after the shooting of Difuntorum, the BOC also offered a P300,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of those behind the incident.

Guerrero also called on all customs employees “to be always careful” as they continue to perform their duties.