Presidential Decree No. 870 (PD 870) — Authorizing the Postmaster General to Act as Ex-Officio Collector of Customs, Amending for the Purpose Section 1139 of the Revised Administrative Code.
WHEREAS, Section 1139 of the Revised Administrative Code, as
amended, defining the general duties, powers, and jurisdiction of the
Bureau of Customs, provides, among others, that the said Bureau shall
supervise and control the handling of foreign mails arriving in the
Philippines for the purpose of collecting the lawful duty on dutiable
articles thus imported and the prevention of smuggling through the
mails;
WHEREAS, there was pending before Congress, prior to the
promulgation of Proclamation No. 1081, dated September 21, 1972, a bill
proposing to transfer the function of the Bureau of Customs to the
Bureau of Posts with respect to foreign parcels, which proposed measure
is considered vital to the attainment of postal efficiency and progress
and the national development program of the Government, and
WHEREAS, there is now an urgent need to adopt a better and
more effective system of control and supervision in the handling of
foreign mails, particularly to pinpoint responsibility in case of loss
or tampering of such mails, which would render the postal service move
responsive to the requirements of the mailing public;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the
Philippines, by virtue of the powers in me vested by the Constitution,
do hereby order and decree:
SECTION 1. Section 1139 of the Revised Administrative Code
is hereby amended by deleting from the said Section paragraph (1)
thereof which provides that "the supervision and control over the
handling of foreign mails arriving in the Philippines, for the purpose
of the collection of the lawful duty on dutiable articles thus imported
and the prevention of smuggling through the medium of the mails" as part
of the general jurisdiction of the Bureau of Customs.
The function provided under the aforequoted paragraph (i), of
SEC. 2.
After the promulgation of this Decree, the Postmaster General shall
promptly assign the necessary number of qualified postal employees to
undergo training in the Department of Finance or the Bureau of Customs
on the examination and proper appraisal of the contents of foreign mails
or postal parcels and assessment of customs duties and taxes thereon,
before he and his authorized representatives shall be completed within
six months from the start thereof.
SEC. 3. Any provisions of law inconsistent herewith are
hereby repealed or amended accordingly. This Decree shall take effect
immediately.
Done in the City of Manila, this 6th day of January, in the
year of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and seventy-six.
(Sgd.)
FERDINAND E. MARCOS
President
Republic of the Philippines
By the President:
(Sgd.)
JUAN C. TUVERA
Presidential Assistant
Section 1139 of the Revised Administrative Code, is hereby transferred
from the Bureau of Customs to the Bureau of Posts. For this purpose, the
Postmaster General is authorized to act as ex-officio Collector of
Customs for the postal service. As such, he shall enforce all laws and
regulations governing the examination, assessment, and collection of
customs duties over such foregoing mails or goods. He is authorized to
designate his agents or representatives from competent postal employees
and, when performing such additional duty, he shall be under the
technical supervision of the Secretary of Finance.
Source: Supreme Court E-Library, Republic of the Philippines. Philippine laws are public documents (works of the government).
