Palace no match to OFW power

MALACAÑANG on Tuesday denied that fear of a political whplash was the reason why government caved in to an avalanche of criticisms from migrant Filipinos and their families back home who deplored an attempt by the Bureau of Customs (BOC) to subject balikbayan (care) boxes to tighter scrutiny.

President Benigno Aquino 3rd late on Monday ordered Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima and Customs Commissioner Alberto Lina to forego the planned random inspection of balikbayan boxes and instead subject them to X-ray and K-9 (drug-sniffer) checks that drew flak from migrant Filipinos in the social media.