Wazzup Pilipinas!
"Balikbayan boxes are often channels of private and personal communication between migrant workers and their families in the Philippines. Is nothing sacred anymore for the Bureau of Customs?" - Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago
There are many people that are so violently reacting about the "Balikbayan Boxes" issue which led the government to finally blink! You can't really win in a staring contest against a fog lamp! Now, President Benigno Simeon "Noynoy" Aquino III has told the Bureau of Customs (BOC) to stop the random inspection and “establish a more defined protocol” to clamp down “balikbayan” boxes that are being used for smuggling.
Remember that the government may have some evil entities (like those that can be found at the BOC and other agencies that have access to so many temptations), but many are still honest and hardworking (hopefully). Not all of them deserve a raised eyebrow when they implement something new.
The littlest effort that an agency does should positively be seen as a counter-measure against whatever negative acts like smuggling or anything similarly damaging to the people, the government and the country. Whether it affects the little or big players, it doesn't really matter since it is everyone's job to deter all kinds of illegal acts.
If we find the newly established procedure intimidating or desecrating, we have every right to let these agencies know, but we should not be accusing but only airing our belief and recommendations. Antagonizing the agency may only lead to further retaliation instead of cooperation.