Importers accuse 4 customs execs of "tong collection"

CEBU, Philippines - Two Cebu importers filed a formal complaint before the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas yesterday against the alleged “tong collection” activities of four officials of the Bureau of Customs (BOC).

Importer Paul D. Go and Ingayo Dee. G. Villanueva, in their joint affidavit-complaint, requested the anti-graft office to investigate Julius Premediles, Collector IV and special assistant to the Office of the Commissioner-Visayas Monitoring, Frank Angelo Muñoz, Special Investigator I, Danielo Gonzales, captain of the Enforcement and Security Service and Ciriaco Ugay, Customs Operations Officer IV.

The complainants asked the anti-graft office to order their preventive suspension and for the filing of the criminal and/or administrative charges against the four officials for alleged violation of the Anti-graft and Corrupt Practices Act and violation of the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees.

The four officials, according to the complainants, “disturbed the harmonious flow of government transactions at the bureau because of their bigotry and bias in the monitoring of shipments, while subjecting to rigid questioning a few who do not yield to the whims of their tong rate.”

The complainants alleged that the four facilitated the release of cargoes of some “favored smugglers enjoying their favor”.

The complainants further alleged that in concurrent capacity, the four officials acted as representatives of Customs Commissioner Angelito Alvarez to OCOM-Visayas, whose existence caused “so much injury” to importers.

The four officials allegedly employ harassment in “squeezing tong” from legitimate importers.

The complainants added that Premediles, Muñoz, Gonzales and Ugay perform “geographically conflicting and incompatible functions” which tantamount to usurpation of official functions.

The complainants cited that Premediles is currently the collector of the sub-port of Pulupandan, a sub-port in Negros Occidental in Region VI; Muñoz is the special investigator of the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service in the subport of Mactan; Gonzales is currently assigned at the Port of Tacloban and Ugay is currently the Customs Operations Officer 4 and appointed deputy collector for operations in the sub-port of Mactan.

With their present assignment, Alvarez issued Customs Special Order No. 41-2010 dated August 21, 2010 designated the four officials as members of OCOM-Visayas for Monitoring.

The complainants contended that such special order is highly irregular as the four officials have their original assignments. Despite their original assignments, the four are holding office at the BOC building, CIP Complex at Pier 6 in Cebu City.

“The special assignment of Premediles, Muñoz, Gonzales and Ugay should be put to tedious scrutiny as it defies logic on geographical proximity in having two concurrent assignments that are geographiclly far-off,” the complaint reads. — (FREEMAN)