Customs collector sets record straight, keeps post

The district collector of Manila International Container Port (MICP) would be keeping his post after setting the record straight over accusations his port failed to meet target collection last year by some P7.8 billion.

Lawyer Carlos "Ding" So was ordered to stay after he explained to Finance Secretary Margarito Teves during a command conference that the report on the supposed collection deficit of MICP in 2005 was misleading.

So stressed that the report did not take into consideration the "tug-of-war" over the Harbor Center.

"Before the collection target was fixed for 2005, it was understood that the controversial Harbor Center was still under the territorial jurisdiction of the MICP. But in September 2004, then Customs Commissioner George Jereos arbitrarily ordered the transfer of supervision of the Harbor Center to the Port of Manila (POM) to arrest the disturbing decline of its collection without making necessary adjustments in the collection targets of both ports," the district collector explained.

So said that due to failure of Jereos to revise the target collection assignments for MICP and POM, it was assumed that Harbor Center was still under his port.

In the official records of Bureau of Customs, the POM collected P47.7 billion in 2005, while MICP collected P42.3 billion. The Harbor Center collected P4.8 billion, which was mistakenly listed under the POM.

"If the collection of Harbor Center is added to MICP’s, which should be the case, then our collection would total to P47.1 billion with a deviation of six percent from the target while that of POM would be reduced to P43 billion, or a 15 percent deviation," So explained.

He lamented that he had to speak for his port and clarify the issue since grave consequences, including being penalized with attrition, might be imposed on them on "faulty basis."

"With this development, my colleagues in MICP can now breathe a sigh of relief as we have proven strong leadership to protect the integrity of our office and save our personnel from the weight of the Lateral Attrition Law, which now hangs far from their heads," the official added. — Edu Punay