Nepotism on way out at Customs

MANILA, Philippines—The Bureau of Customs (BOC) has allowed contractual staff with relatives also working in the agency to keep their jobs until the middle of the year before being booted out.

Under Customs Administrative Order (CAO) 02-2015 issued by BOC Commissioner John Phillip P. Sevilla and Finance Secretary Cesar V. Purisima last Jan. 9, such employees whose contracts of service lapsed on Dec. 31 last year “may be allowed” to renew their job contracts for another term not exceeding six months, after which no extension would be allowed.

Customs Commissioner John Phillip Sevilla. INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO

The stopgap measure is aimed at “[preventing] disruption in the performance of public functions and rendering of public services due to the non-renewal of contract of services in the bureau which expired as of Dec. 31, 2014,” the BOC order said.

The agency said it needs “sufficient time” to hire and train new workers to replace those who will have to be let go under CAO 03-2014, which lays down the BOC’s antinepotism rules that were implemented starting last year.

CAO 03-2014 provides that “[no] person who is a relative of a current officer or employee of the bureau shall be appointed or designated to any position in the bureau”.

The rules defined the term “relative” as a “family relation within the fourth civil degree of consanguinity or affinity”.

The antinepotism rules were issued to “promote equal opportunities, meritocracy and impartiality in job hiring, promotion and grant of workplace benefits” while also preventing conflict of interest among BOC officers and employees when performing their functions as well as enforcing customs laws and regulations, the agency said.

In the meantime, through CAO 02-2015, the BOC is giving contractual employees whose contracts cannot be renewed anymore “sufficient time” to find other jobs outside the agency.