Operations at the two major ports in Metro Manila were slightly paralyzed on Tuesday after some Customs brokers and truckers held simultaneous protest actions against the Presidential Anti-Smuggling Group (PASG).

Shrugging off alleged harassment from PASG, a few truckers blocked the Manila International Container Port (MICP) and Port of Manila (PoM) in South Harbor while there were brokers who did not file their formal entries.

The Professional Customs Brokers Association of the Philippines, Inc. (PCBAPI) and the Confederation of Truckers Association of the Philippines (CTAP) headed the strike against PASG for illegally withholding their cargoes outside of Customs premises.

“PASG’s actions are extremely illegal and grossly violative of the Tariff and Customs Code of the Philippines and other laws which are also scaring away both local and foreign investors,” PCBAPI president and spokesperson Agapito Mendez Jr. said.

At the PoM’s Formal Entry Division, transactions were partially crippled by the strike of brokers but there were reports of alleged harassments done by other participants to those who refused to join the mass action.

“What we can do if our fellow brokers compel us to not file our formal entries. You better follow them as a way to show support to their cause because they said it is for our own good,” a lady broker said.

Tuesday’s strike of PCBAPI, CTAP and other associations of brokers and truckers was a flop in other parts of the country after their moves were not consolidated with their counterparts in Metro Manila.

“Yes, the group pushed back the start of the strike from yesterday to either tomorrow or Friday but definitely, it will paralyze port operations nationwide within this week,” Mendez said.