The Liberal Party (LP) on Saturday rebuked the Bureau of Customs (BOC) after 105 containers loaded with imported and undervalued goods from China have managed slip through the Port of Manila.
BOC Commissioner Isidro Lapeña earlier announced that 105 containers slipped through the port. Out of the 105 containers, the BOC chief said 85 were already recovered in Meycauayan, Bulacan.
In a collective statement, the LP said that there was “no change. Corruption remains rampant at the Bureau of Customs.”
For his part, Senator Bam Aquino said the bureau has failed to learn from its failure when P6.4 billion worth of shabu managed to disappear under its watch in May 2017.
“Tuloy-tuloy pa rin ang katiwalian sa Bureau of Customs. Nasaan ang pagbabago? Wala pa ring pananagutan sa isyu ng smuggling,” Aquino said.
“Hindi na sila nadala na may lumusot ng toneladang shabu sa gitna na war on drugs ni Pangulong Duterte,” he said.
Senator Francis Pangilinan added that the BOC also needs “to remove the bad eggs” in its ranks by implementing a thorough revamp of its personnel.
“Mahirap linisin ang ahensya dahil sa halip na sibakin at kasuhan ay binibigyan pa ng ibang pwesto sa gobyerno,” Pangilinan said.
Meanwhile, former Deputy House Speaker Erin Tañada said the “non-prosecution of Customs officials” tagged in the P6.4 billion shabu smuggling case had apparently emboldened others in the agency to commit corruption.
“Wala nang takot na nararamdaman ang mga taga-Customs, lalo pa’t nakalusot ang ilan sa kanila kaugnay ng pagpuslit ng bilyong pisong halaga ng shabu sa bansa,” Tañada said. /muf