Hundreds reshuffled in BOC-anti corruption drive

SOME 249 customs personnel were relieved from their posts and transferred elsewhere while dozens more were either, dismissed, suspended or relieved as the Bureau of Customs (BOC) continues with its unrelenting anti-corruption campaign to weed out the agency of unscrupulous elements.

BOC Assistant Commissioner and spokesperson, Atty. Vincent Maronilla citing official records, bared that since the first semester of the year, January to June 2022, Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero approved the issuance of 67 ‘show cause orders’ (SCOs) that resulted to the dismissal, suspension, relief, and reshuffling of errant customs employees.

Thru the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service (CIIS) 333 investigations involving agency personnel were made during the same period that resulted in 7 filed administrative cases before the BOC-Legal Service and another 7 cases transmitted to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) for further investigation.

The result also showed that 3 other personnel were dismissed, 7 suspended, 1 reprimanded, 27 relieved from their posts and 249 employees reshuffled to various offices and ports due to “irregular activities.”

These results proved untenable the result of a Senate investigation under the just-concluded 18^th Congress that no less than Guerrero was involved in smuggling activities, particularly of agricultural products, along with 4 other top customs officials.

Guerrero and his subordinates vehemently denounced the list of alleged smugglers and their protectors contained in Senate Committee Report 649 and questioned its credibility.

A reliable source told Pinoy Exposé that one of the advice Department of Finance (DOF) Secretary Carlos Dominguez gave to his successor, Secretary Benjamin Diokno, is for Guerrero to be retained as customs chief.

This, after other relevant government law enforcement agencies denied providing the Senate and former Senate President Vicente Sotto III, of any list naming him, other customs officials as smuggling ‘protectors.’

The report is now being branded as a ‘political hatchet job’ aimed at influencing Pres. Ferdinand ‘Bongbong/BBM’ Romualdez Jr., not to retain Guerrero as customs chief.

This, after a reliable source told Pinoy Exposé that one of the advice Department of Finance (DOF) Secretary Carlos Dominguez gave to his successor, Secretary Benjamin Diokno, is for Guerrero to be retained as customs chief.

Dominguez is reportedly worried that the ongoing BOC modernization program being successfully implemented by Guerrero might suffer a delay should he be replaced by someone unfamiliar or unable to complete the it.

On the other hand, another reliable source said that “over 40 applicants” are now lining up to replace Guerrero, but nearly all of them unfamiliar with the changed working environment in the agency.

Maronilla noted that aside from hastening the agency’s modernization, Guerrero’s reforms is also anchored in the promotion of efficiency and transparency.

They include the BOC’s completion of its ‘Performance Governance System’ (PGS) journey in only two and a half years, completing the fourth and final stage last April 2022.

In all 4 stages of the PGS Pathway, the BOC consistently bagged the highest award, the Gold Governance Trailblazer award.

With this, the Institute for Solidarity in Asia (ISA) conferred the agency with the PGS Institutionalized status and recognition of the BOC as an ‘Island of Good Governance.’

“Moreover, aligned with the BOC’s 10-Point Priority Program for 2022, one of which is pursuing Integrity Development and Quality Management for all offices and ports, 13 BOC ports and subports have already been certified with ISO 9001:2015, an internationally accepted standard for quality management,” Maronilla aded.

These ports include the ports of Manila, Clark, Batangas, Davao, Legaspi, Tacloban, Cebu, NAIA and their respective Customer Care Centers (CCC).

The subports of Dumaguete, Iligan, Mactan, CCC-Subic, and CCC-Limay are also already ISO certified, while other Customs offices are in various stages of the ISO compliance process, he added.

Customer Care Centers are also established in all 17 ports, including 6 subports, providing modern service centers for a centralized document receiving and releasing, information area for inquiry and other general concerns, payment center, and other customs services.

“Along with this, 91.76 percent of customs processes are already digitized and aligned with the no contact policy of the BOC, Ease of Doing Business Act, and the Anti-Red Tape Act,” Maronilla stressed further.

Last week, as another smear job against Guerrero and the BOC took place using the Senate report as basis, the Civil Service Commission-Contact Center ng Bayan (CCB), recognized the BOC as one of the ‘Top 10’ government agencies with the highest complaints resolution rate from Fiscal Year 2014 to 2021.

The CCB is one of the Philippine government’s main feedback mechanisms that serve as the Filipino citizen’s direct line in providing feedback on the efficiency of government service delivery.

Its establishment supports the implementation of Republic Act No. 9485 or the Anti-Red Tape Act, and its amendment, Republic Act No. 11032 or the Ease of Doing Business Act and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act of 2018.

The recognition cited the BOC over its complaint resolution rate of 95.39 percent, thru its Customer Assistance and Response Services (CARES).

Of the 542 complaints received, the BOC resolved 517 complaints, the CSC noted.