Two Customs officers in hot water over SALN

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Finance (DOF) has filed before the Office of the Ombudsman charges against two officers of the Bureau of Customs (BOC).

Charged by the Revenue Integrity Protection Service (RIPS) of the DOF were Recaflor Edward Fuerte De Leon, a customs operations officer stationed at the Port Area of South Harbor, Manila, and Abel Batino Bayot, customs operations officer III of the Cavite Export Zone, for declaring misleading information in their respective Statements of Assets and Liabilities (SALNs).

According to the RIPS, the two have also failed to declare a number of their personal properties.

In his SALNs from 2003 to 2011, De Leon declared two farm lots in the province of Zambales which were allegedly purchased separately from 1986 to 1989.  An inquiry from the Office of the Provincial Assessor of Iba, Zambales, however, shows that no property, whether land or improvements, are declared under the names of De Leon or his wife and child.

RIPS also accused De Leon of failing to declare ownership of firearms, as Certification from the Philippine National Police (PNP) shows his ownership of several of these.

De Leon was also found to have left the country on two separate occasions without the requisite travel authority in violation of Executive Order (EO) 6.

Bayot, on the other hand, was charged for declaring two ghost properties in his SALNs.

Bayot listed ownership of a coffee farm in Amadeo, Cavite and a residential lot in Bacoor, Cavite in his SALNs from 2004 to 2011.

Certifications obtained by RIPS from the respective offices of the assessors of Amadeo and Bacoor, however, show that no such properties are registered under his name or those of his wife or child.

Apart from this, Bayot was found to have filed misleading information and failed to declare several personal properties in his SALNs.

The affidavit against Bayot stated that in his SALNs from 2004 to 2010, he declared ownership of a Honda car and a Mitsubishi Pajero. While the vehicles did not appear anymore in his 2011 SALN, Bayot reported a Mitsubishi Montero in lieu of two other vehicles.