Ombudsman suspends 2 customs officers for alleged extortion

MANILA, Philippines—The Office of the Ombudsman ordered the preventive suspension of two officials of the Bureau of Customs for their alleged involvement in extortion activities.

Placed under preventive suspension were Romeo O. Alicaya and Rodel C. Arciiga.

Alicaya is the Customs Operations Officer III/Officer-In-Charge Customs Collector and Arciiga is the Customs Operations Officer I. They are both from the Gateway Business Park Export Processing Zone in General Trias, Cavite.

The two are facing administrative complaint for grave misconduct and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service.

The case stemmed after a certain Corazon Drilon, owner of Orange Wined Trading filed a complaint for robbery-extortion with the National Bureau of Investigation-Cavite District Office (NBI-CAVIDO) on May 6, 2013.

In her complaint, she said every time she pays her customs duties and taxes at the BOC office in the processing zone, Alicaya demands additional money “for the boys,” otherwise Alicaya would not approve the release of the scrap metals purchased by her company from the processing zone.

On May 22, 2013, NBI-CAVIDO arrested the two in an entrapment operation.

Upon NBI-CAVIDO’s referral of the case to the Office of the Ombudsman, the Field Investigation Unit (FIU) of the Office of the Deputy Ombudsman for Luzon conducted a parallel investigation to determine whether administrative charges may be filed against them.

Acting on FIU’s recommendation, Deputy Ombudsman Gerard A. Mosquera ordered the preventive suspension of the two customs men for 6 months without pay pending the conduct of the administrative proceedings against them.