A consumer as well as anti-crime and corruption groups have submitted a list of 30 suspected big time smugglers operating at the Bureau of Customs which they said had caused the government to lose billions of pesos in duties and taxes every year.
The United Filipino Consumers and Commuters (UFCC) as well as Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC) submitted 14 pages of documents to the Office of Customs Commissioner Nicanor Faeldon, naming importers and consignees linked to the smuggling of cement and other imported products.
UFCC spokesperson Rodolfo “RJ” Javellana Jr., however, declined to name the alleged smugglers pending investigation by the bureau, fearing identifying them would jeopardize the government’s campaign against smugglers who may posthaste leave the country to avoid prosecution.
In a press briefing, Javellana said the customs commissioner would be the one to divulge soon the names of the suspected smugglers.
He said the government is losing at least P200 billion in revenues from smuggling every year, enough to build 1,000 new school classrooms, bridges and roads across the country.
He said secret deals between smugglers and corrupt customs personnel, along with globalization and trade liberalization, are among the main causes of the bureau’s failure to meet its revenue collection targets.
President Rodrigo Durtete has warned corrupt agency officials and employees to shape up or resign from the government office.