BOC : 6 execs under probe over ‘questionable’ shipments

By: Maila Ager - 11 years ago

The Bureau of Customs (BOC). FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines – Up to six customs officials are being investigated for allegedly allowing entry of “questionable” shipments in the country without proper documentations, a ranking Bureau of Customs (BOC) official said on Wednesday.

Deputy commissioner Jessie Dellosa, head of the BOC’s Intelligence group, did not name the officials being investigated for “facilitating” the entry of the questionable shipments.

“Meron na kaming pinaiimbestigahan, mga anim yata o lima,” said Dellosa, who was chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

Based on his own estimates, he said, these officials get about P15,000 to P20,000 each every shipment.

“Mga general merchandise yun…hindi pa ito yung mga naka-timbre, hindi pa ito yung mga malalaking shipment,” Dellosa pointed out.

He said this practice has been going on but the present leadership was trying to address this problem.

“Yun ang tinatama namin ngayon, kinokorek namin so we’re exerting all our efforts para maalis na itong mga ito,” said the customs official.

“Matagal na nangyayari ito that’s why we’re here to at least reform the Bureau of Customs.”

Dellosa lamented that “corruption” remains the biggest problem of the bureau.

“Because of corruption, nagkakaroon ng smuggling so we have first to solve corruption in the bureau. Kapag nawala na ang corruption sa bureau , mawawala na ang smuggling…” he further said.

It was Customs Commissioner John Philip Sevilla, who confirmed the existence of “tara system” or grease money in the agency when he faced this Wednesday at a Senate hearing into the rice smuggling in the country.