RCMG: 166 smugglers, cohorts, sued last year

THE Bureau of Customs (BOC) last year filed 166 criminal and administrative cases against suspected smugglers and their cohorts in the customs brokerage profession, up by some 36 cases or some 76 percent, compared to the number of smugglers hauled before the Department of Justice two years ago.

Atty. Vener Baquiran, Deputy Commissioner for Revenue Collection and Monitoring Group (RCMG), who is also supervising the bureau’s Legal Service, in a year-end report to Comm. Rey Leonardo Guerrero, said that of the number, 103 criminal cases involving 309 individual importers and customs brokers were filed before the DOJ by ‘BATAS’ (BOC Action Team Against Smugglers), an office under the Legal Service.

Baquiran added they also separately filed 63 administrative cases before the Professional Regulations Commission (PRC) to pave the way for the cancellation of the professional customs brokers’ license of those customs brokers found colluding with smugglers.

In a similar report early last year to Guerrero, Baquiran said they filed a total of 127 smuggling cases for 2020, consisting of 75 criminal cases filed before the DOJ and 52 administrative cases filed before the PRC (see also Pinoy Exposé, Volume 2, Issue No. 2).

Data from BATAS also showed that among those charged involved the unlawful importation of cigarettes valued at P897.1 million; agricultural products valued at P293.9 million; general merchandise (GM) amounting to P253.2 million; medicines valued at P57.1 million; motor vehicles valued at P49.1 million; and other commodities valued at P63.1 million.

Baquiran added that criminal cases due to the unlawful removal and disarming of electronic customs seals under the Bureau’s ‘E-TRACC’ program were also filed against those invoved.

Meanwhile, as part of the BOC’s continuing campaign on institutional integrity and corruption under Guerrero, 1,153 ‘SCOs’ (show cause orders) were issued last year that led to the dismissal, suspension, relief, and reshuffling of errant BOC employees.

Of the number, 133 personnel investigations were conducted by the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service (CIIS) under Dir. Jeoffrey Tacio that resulted to the filing of 44 administrative cases before the Legal Service.

Consequently, the BOC also transmitted 14 cases to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and four (4) to the Ombudsman for further investigation.

It can be recalled that part of Guerrero’s campaign since becoming customs chief in October 2018, is to remove the BOC’s stigma as among the “most corrupt” government agency.

Official records also show that last year, 3 customs employees were dismissed, 17 suspended, 6 reprimanded and 19 others relieved from their respective posts.

721 employees were also either reshuffled or transferred to various offices and ports due to irregular and unlawful activities.

In 2020, Baquiran informed Guerrero that 48 disciplinary administrative cases involving customs personnel were filed of which 18 cases have been transmitted to the Office of the Ombudsman for further investigation and resolution.

Of the remaining cases, 11 of them have been resolved, 17 are awaiting resolution while 11 others are still under formal investigation (see also Pinoy Exposé, Volume 2, Issue No. 2).

Committed to institutional integrity

It can be recalled that part of Guerrero’s campaign since becoming customs chief in October 2018, is to remove the BOC’s stigma as among the “most corrupt” government agency.

The campaign against corruption and strengthening of the bureau’s institutional integrity has always been part of Guerrero’s annual ‘10-Point Reform Programs.’

Last March 30, 2021, the BOC signed a ‘manifesto against corruption’ with the Presidential Anti-Crime Commission (PACC).

The BOC is also among the first government agencies to partner with the PACC in establishing the BOC-PACC Command Group and the bureau-wide creation of Anti-Corruption Coordinating Committees under the Commission’s ‘Project Kasangga.’

The BOC also enrolled in the ‘Integrity Development Program of the World Customs Organization (WCO), where it received a 70 percent favorable rating based on responses from both internal and external stakeholders.

Less than a year after taking office, Guerrero, in 2019, also enrolled the BOC in the 4-Stage Performance Governance System (PGS) of the Institute for Solidarity in Asia (ISA).

Since then, the bureau has consecutively bagged the Gold Governance Trailblazer awards as it passed the first three (3) stages of the PGS.

“The Bureau aims to carry this momentum until it completes the final stage to fully ensure that reforms are truly achieved and realized,” Guerrero said in a brief statement.

The bemedaled and highly-respected former Armed Forces chief of staff also pushed the BOC and its offices and collection districts to see the importance of being enrolled in the ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management System (ISO QMS).

At the end of 2021, 9 customs collection districts, subports, and offices have already been awarded with ISO 9001:2015 certifications, while the rest are in various stages of the ISO compliance process.