Customs chief dared to catch ‘big fish’

The Bureau of Customs Employees Association (BOCEA) yesterday lashed out at Customs chief Renato Ampil for picking on small fry instead of going after the big fish in the campaign against graft and corruption.

"If Commissioner Ampil is really sincere in his drive to rid Customs of graft and corruption, he should run after the big fish," BOCEA president Rommie Pagulayan said in a statement.

Pagulayan said Ampil should not resort to gimmicks meant only to accumulate "pogi" points for him and his patron in Malacañang, "something which the Erap government is very much known for."

In a statement, Pagulayan exhorted the Bureau of Customs (BOC) leadership to show themselves up as role models before "kicking butts" at the agency.

Ampil is in the middle of an intensified revenue collection campaign to meet his committed targets.

Ampil has directed Deputy Commissioner for the Intelligence and Enforcement Group (IEG) George Jereos and Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service (CIIS) chief Angel Africa beginning last week to subject certain shipments to 100 percent physical examination after receiving reports that a big number are being released fraudulently.

"We are on the lookout for "doubtful" shipments. We are zeroing in on the green lane particularly because we have received reports that some (import) entries were made to appear in the wrong tariff headings to avoid paying the correct taxes. We found out that most of the entries indicated undervaluation of goods," Jereos said.

Goods passing the green lane under the regular selectivity system of the BOC are not subject to physical examination and breeze through clearance procedures. Subject to certain levels of scrutiny are those on the yellow and red lanes, with the latter requiring opening of the container vans and subjecting the goods to 100 percent examination to determine true quantity and correct value of goods.

Customs sources said Ampil has assigned a "strike force" at the Cash Division, which in the process is interfering with the regular functions of the employees assigned there.

"They are pulling out processed entries and subjecting them to further checking which is abuse of authority. This action has no legal basis," the source said on condition of anonymity.

Jereos has denied the existence of the "strike force."

The source added that the scheme, which has resulted in undue delay in the release of cargo to the consignees, also runs counter to the objective of trade facilitation.

"Some brokers have threatened to stage a strike in protest of this action," the source said. Examiners and appraisers received a severe tongue-lashing from Ampil who told them to shape up or be shipped out on suspicion of conniving with unscrupulous traders and brokers who have adversely affected revenue collection efforts by the BOC.

The BOC has admitted a drop in revenue collection for the last six weeks and is under pressure to meet its P91 billion target at the end of the year.

"Ampil and his minions should be the first to shape up," the statement said.

BOCEA alleges that Ampil is lowering the boom on the hapless rank and file and blaming them for the increasingly low tax and duty collections at the ports.

The group said Ampil is guilty of passing the blame to the rank and file employees who Ampil suspects of pocketing certain sums in consideration of the "appropriate" processing of import entries.

As this was being written, Ampil, Jereos and Africa were in a huddle studying their next moves as rumors of a protest rally by affected brokers and personeros (private processors of import documents) on Monday fly thick.