THE Bureau of Customs (BOC) has reiterated its stand that it welcomes, and is open to, any investigation on its activities and processes after those 8 of the 10 presidential candidates running in the May 9, 2022 elections said the BOC would be the first government agency that would be investigated under their administration should any of them win.
“We welcome, cooperate and support any and all investigations.
“PACC (Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission) ARTA (Anti-Red Tape Authority) NBI (National Bureau of Investigation) PDEA (Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency) and COA (Commission on Audit) are already embedded in BOC investigating any and all reports/complaints against BOC,” said Assistant Commissioner and spokesperson, Atty. Vincent Maronilla.
To press home his point, Maronilla said they would also welcome should a “resident Ombudsman” be installed at the agency.
Maronilla issued the statement after presidential candidates, Vice President Leni Robredo, Sen. Panfilo Lacson, Manila Mayor Francisco ‘Isko Moreno’ Domagoso, labor leader Leody de Guzman, former national security adviser Norberto Gonzales, Muslim leader Faisal Mangondadato, labor leader Jose Montemayor and former presidential spokesman, Ernesto Abella, answered ‘Bureau of Customs’ when asked which government agency they intend to investigate first should they get elected as president.
Sen. Emmanuel ‘Manny/Pacman’ Pacquiao, for his part, said he wants the Department of Health (DOH) to be investigated first while leading presidential candidate, former senator Ferdinand ‘Bongbong/BBM’ Marcos Jr., has not responded to the question.
Employees not happy with propose probe only targeting Customs
In their separate messenger group, customs employees expressed their dismay over the result, saying the candidates are “pretending to be clean” (“nagmamalinis”) and that it should be the BIR (Bureau of Internal Revenue) that should be investigated first.
The employees in particular also lashed at Lacson, whose son is known to have extensive dealings at the waterfront and on Domagoso, whose “patron,” they noted, is one of the country’s biggest arrastre operators.
The employees also expressed wonder why Lacson, in his interview with Boy Abunda, continues to claim that BOC operations has not yet been “computerized.”
“’Di pa daw automated… tagal na automated ang Customs. 19,000 square kilometers ang coastal area ng Pilipinas.
“Navy at (Phil) Coast Guard ang nag babantay ng borders. Hindi ba sya nagtataka kung bakit nakakapasok sa border natin ang droga,” asked one employee, further noting that Lacson’ son is involved in cement importation. “Yung anak nya ay semento at namamayagpag.”
During the bureau’s 120th anniversary last February 23, 2022, Department of Finance (DOF) secretary, Carlos Dominguez, particularly cited the bureau’s ongoing computerization program and the ‘digitization’ of all its systems and processes under the leadership of Comm. Rey Leonardo Guerrero.
Dominguez said he expects the agency to achieve 100 percent computerization by the end of Pres. Duterte’s term this June 2022.
Guerrero, for his part, reported that already, “82 percent” of the bureau’s processes and systems have already been computerized and digitized that contributed to the agency again surpassing its target collection last year. Under Guerrero, the BOC has surpassed its assigned annual collection in the last two years, despite the adverse economic and business impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Maronilla also expressed the belief that any proposed investigation of the agency would be “fair and impartial.”
“We trust that the intended investigation of course is fair and impartial, through that we hope that it will also serve as a venue not just to expose our flaws but highlight the reforms we have made as well.”