4 Customs officials dismissed for failing to meet targets

MANILA, Philippines - Four officials of the Port of Manila-Bureau of Customs (POM-BOC) have been ordered dismissed by the Revenue Performance Evaluation Board (RPEB) of the Department of Finance (DOF) for reportedly failing to meet their assigned revenue collection for year 2007.

In a statement, BOC Commissioner Napoleon Morales said they would comply with the memorandum issued and signed by RPEB chairman and Finance Secretary Margarito Teves last July 20.

Morales forwarded Teves’ memorandum to deputy commissioner for Internal Administration Group (IAG) Gregorio Chavez for appropriate action.

The other signatories of the RPEB were Laura Pascua of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) and Margarita Songco of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA).

Based on RPEB Resolution No. 5, the four POM-BOC officials ordered to be dismissed were Antonio Arrojo, customs operations officer (COO) 5 of Section 14 of the Formal Entry Division (FED); Nicolas Bejar, acting COO 5 of Section 6 FED; Arthur Sevilla Jr., acting COO 5 of Section 9 of FED; and Gliceria Umandap of the Liquidation and Billing Division (LBD).

They were ordered terminated from service pursuant to RA 9335 or the Attrition Act of 2005.

According to the RPEB Resolution No. 5 dated July 6, 2009, the four officials’ “explanations and justifications were unable to reduce their shortfall below the 7.5 percent threshold.”

Saved from attrition was Percito Lozada who served as acting head of Sections 6 and 14 of POM for less than six months in 2007.

In year 2007, the BOC’s collection was P17.7 billion short of its P228.2-billion target because of the high foreign exchange rate and reduction of tariff rates.

The POM, considered one of the top revenue earners of the agency, fell short of its P74.68-billion target by nearly P6 billion.

However, the officials removed from their work have a legal recourse.

Under section 9 of RA 9335, dismissed officials have the right to appeal before the Civil Service Commission.

But Morales said that “even if these officials avail of the remedy of appeal, this will not prevent the implementation of the dismissal order.”