Palace: Major BOC reform measures underway

MANILA, Philippines - The axe will fall on anyone guilty of corruption once reforms are implemented in the Bureau of Customs (BOC), a Palace official said Thursday.

Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda warned officials, including allies of the administration, that nobody will be spared in the overhauling of the BOC, which was berated by President Benigno Aquino III.

"Kung saan tayo dadalhin ng ebidensiya, dun tayo pupunta. Maliwanag ang utos ng Pangulo, wala hong papaburan dito," Lacierda said at a televised press briefing.

In his State of the Nation Address, Aquino lashed at the BOC for its failure to curb smuggling and other corrupt practices.

Customs Commissioner Ruff Biazon and Deputy Commissioners Danilo Lim and Juan Lorenzo Tañada offered their resignation.

Related story: Another Customs exec quits

While declining to provide details, Lacierda said "major" reform measures are underway to solve the "endemic, systemic corruption" in the BOC.

"Abangan ang susunod na kabanata. Ang reporma ay malawakan but as of now we're not at liberty to discuss the reforms that will be implemented," he said.

Meantime, Lacierda said the Palace has yet to act on the resignation offers of the other BOC officials.

"There is no official action yet that's relayed to us from the Office of the Executive Secretary. The OES got the resignation letter of Tañada pero wala pa din action on Lim and Tañada's offer to resign," he said.