BOC turns to tipsters in stepped up drive to curb agri smuggling, offers rewards

MANILA, Philippines — The Bureau of Customs (BOC) is offering a reward for those who will provide valuable information regarding the trade of smuggled goods, said Commissioner Bienvenido Rubio on Tuesday.

The statement follows President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s order to double down on agricultural smugglers and hoarders. The President also serves as the concurrent agriculture secretary.

“It’s about 20 percent po of the value of the goods. Kapag iyong goods po na nakuha natin are goods of value na pwede nating i-auction, then they are entitled [to a reward],” said Rubio in a Palace briefing.

(It’s about 20 percent of the value of the goods. So if the goods we get are goods of value that we can auction off, they are entitled to a reward.)

Rubio is pertaining to Sec. 1512 of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA), which described the reward to informants.

“A cash reward equivalent to twenty percent of the actual proceeds from the sale of smuggled goods and confiscated goods or actual collection of additional revenues shall be given to the customs and non-customs informers or whistleblowers who are instrumental in the collection of additional revenues arising from the discovery of violations of this Act in accordance with the rules and regulations to be issued by the Secretary of Finance,” read the CMTA.

The BOC directs those with valuable information to go to the agency’s website, where they can offer their tips.

The BOC had recently raided a warehouse with P505 million rice, which may have been smuggled.

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