EDITORIAL - Housecleaning at Customs

President Arroyo was asking for it when she picked Napoleon Morales as the new officer-in-charge of the Bureau of Customs, and even promoted him to deputy commissioner. Earlier this year, Morales and other Customs personnel assigned at the port of Batangas were accused of technical smuggling by Interior Secretary Angelo Reyes, who at the time was in charge of the government’s anti-smuggling campaign.

Now critics are lambasting Malacañang and ignoring the Office of the Ombudsman’s statement that Morales has been cleared of graft. The critics say that only in the Philippines will you find a public official accused of smuggling being promoted and appointed Customs OIC.

Reyes’ complaint was based on a finding of the Cebu Customs examiner that a shipment of cornstarch was misdeclared at the Batangas port, which allowed the consignee to pay only P167,051 in duties instead of nearly P5.2 million.

It was not the first time that the port became the subject of negative reports. Two years ago, about 40 container vans of dressed chicken that had not been cleared of avian-borne viruses by Philippine authorities were hurriedly released from the Batangas port by Customs personnel.

Morales’ appointment to the top Customs post is in an acting capacity, but his promotion as deputy Customs commissioner is permanent. Malacañang explained that it was Morales’ reward for high revenue collections at the Batangas port, which is the entry point for most of the country’s oil imports since many refineries are located around that area.

In all surveys on corruption, the Bureau of Customs always competes for the top spot with the Bureau of Internal Revenue and the Department of Public Works and Highways. All three agencies need a thorough housecleaning. This makes it all the more imperative to appoint individuals who can set an example in competence and integrity as heads of the agencies. Malacañang should consider this in the search for a Customs chief.