PBBM lists ‘top priorities’ for BOC under his term

PRESIDENT Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr., wants the Bureau of Customs (BOC) to focus on three major areas as his first customs commissioner, Yogi Filemon Ruiz, the director of the Enforcement and Security Service (ESS/Customs Police), faced the media on Monday, July 25, 2022, after formally assuming the top customs post.

According to Ruiz, the President said the government would adopt “zero tolerance” on drug smuggling, the “elimination” of agricultural smuggling and also instructed him to prevent the entry of illegal firearms into the country.

Likewise, the Chief Executive also instructed Ruiz to continue with the “full automation and digitization” of the agency that was started by the Duterte administration under Comm. Rey Leonardo Guerrero and which has already covered 92 percent of the bureau’s systems and processes.

Finally, Ruiz said the President also expects the agency to continue increasing its revenue collection that has also achieved historic highs under Guerrero.

Already at the end of the first half of 2022, Guerrero would be leaving behind a surplus of over P68 billion in surplus collection while consistently surpassing its assigned annual target since 2019.

Aside from the President’s personal instructions, Ruiz said he would add to them the goal of increasing employees’ morale and the campaign against corruption.

“I am not here to please anyone but only one person, the President,” Ruiz said. “Sa mga kasamahan ko na ayaw gumawa ng tama, pasensiyahan tayo,” he added.

‘Stay put’ for now, but…

During the press conference, Ruiz also hinted that the current holders of the bureau’s 17 collection districts can stay at their respective posts, at least for the time being, noting the bureau’s all-time high revenue collections.

“Right now, the collection districts are performing at an all time high (in terms of revenue collection). Why fix something that is not broken,” Ruiz noted.

Lapeña and Ruiz were among the top customs officials investigated by the Senate over the issue of illegal drugs where the yet to be fully-identified drug syndicate used ‘magnetic lifters’ to spirit out of the BOC an estimated 1,000 kilos of shabu worth some P6.8 billion in August 2018.

However, the new customs chief also hinted a return to the ‘one-strike’ policy of Comm. Isisdro Lapeña, who, as customs commissioner from 2017 to 2018, adopted a policy of removing districts collectors who failed to achieve or surpass their monthly collection target.

“One of the policies we’ll be adopting is, we will be giving them (district collectors) their target revenue for the moth and if they could not hit their target revenue then (they can) expect to be replaced by someone who can hit the target revenue.”

It was Lapeña who brought Ruiz into the agency as Enforcement Security Service (ESS) director in 2017.

Lapeña is the PDEA director general at the time he was appointed to the top customs post by President Rodrigo Duterte while Ruiz has served as PDEA director in various regions of the country.

Lapeña’s policy has resulted to ‘instability’ in the ranks of BOC district collectors who are always on their toes for fear of being reshuffled or replace from their posts.

He and Ruiz were among the top customs officials investigated by the Senate over the issue of illegal drugs where the yet to be fully-identified drug syndicate used ‘magnetic lifters’ to spirit out of the BOC and estimated 1,000 kilos of shabu worth some P6.8 billion in August 2018.

The incident forced Pres. Duterte to remove Lapeña from the BOC and transfer him to the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), aware that Lapeña was just ‘blindsided’ by his subordinates at the BOC.

Ruiz, however, remained and went on to become the first customs commissioner under President Marcos Jr.

The simple turnover ceremony at the BOC main office at the Port of Manila was witnessed by Department of Finance (DOF) Undersecretary Antonette C. Tionko, with very few guests and witnesses as the agency continues to adhere to its health safety protocols.

Ruiz had earlier taken his oath of office before President Marcos Jr., in Malacañang on his appointment to the top customs post last July 20, 2022.

Ruiz also thanked Guerrero for implementing the much-needed reformation of the bureau, a historical legacy that, he said, is now his duty to continue.

He also vowed to “carry on the good governance and process reforms that were started,” by his predecessor.

Guerrero, for his part, congratulated and welcomed Ruiz, who according to him is “a public servant with a track record of accomplishments that will surely bring new energy to the Bureau.”

“Being part of the organization for several years now, you have the advantage of hitting the ground running, so to speak, and a familiarity with the ins and outs that will serve you in good stead as you steward our institution towards mission accomplishment,” Guerrero said to the incoming commissioner.

During the turnover ceremony, Guerrero was also given a ‘Plaque of Recognition’ by the Department of Finance for his sterling leadership of the agency.

Guerrero, the highly respected former Armed Forces chief of staff, was customs commissioner since October 2018.

Right after retiring from military service in April 2018, President Duterte appointed him as administrator of the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina). Guerrero was just barely 6 months in office when he was appointed to the BOC the following month of October, in place of Lapeña, who was transferred to TESDA, as the Senate winds up its investigation of drug smuggling into the country.