One year after taking over the Bureau of Customs and warning BoC officials and employees that he would implement a “One-Strike Policy” for BoC personnel involved in corruption, Customs Commissioner Isidro Lapeña has adopted a similar strategy with underperforming BoC collectors who have failed to meet their monthly collection targets.
For the month of July, District Collectors Vener Baquiran and Segundo Sigmundfreud Barte of Manila International Container Port and Port of Subic, respectively, are now awaiting personnel orders for their reassignment for their failure to meet their monthly collection targets.
The MICP has failed to hit collection targets for the months of March, April, May, and June, a development that will also result in the sacking of collectors Balmyrson Valdez and Marites Martin.
Lapeña had earlier issued a memorandum directing all district collectors, including deputy collectors for assessment, the chiefs of formal entry divisions and examiners to be responsible for hitting the targets assigned to them––warning that those who failed to hit their targets would be replaced or relieved from their posts and reshuffled to other positions.
The directive is consistent with the five-point reform plan Lapeña submitted to the Department of Finance in September 2017, which involves (1) stopping corruption, (2) increasing revenues, (3) ensuring trade facilitation, (4) strengthening anti-smuggling efforts, and (5) enhancing the personnel incentives, rewards system and compensation benefits for BoC personnel.
To increase revenue collections, Lapeña said he would, among others, speed up the collection and forfeiture of outstanding and demandable bonds, order the collection of additional duties, taxes or penalties from post audit, immediately auction off forfeited shipments and overstaying containers, and implement the one-strike policy against officials who fail to reach their monthly collection targets due to incorrect or undervaluation of goods under their jurisdiction.
The MICP and Subic ports are not the only entry points that have fallen short of their collection targets from January to July 2018 this year. Other underperforming entry points include the Port of Manila, the Batangas Port, the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, the Surigao Port, the Zamboanga Port, the Port of Iloilo, and the Port of Legazpi.
Upon taking over the BoC in August 2017, Lapeña had pledged to implement President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s marching orders to “stop corruption and increase revenue earnings” in a bureau regarded as one of the most corrupt agencies in the bureaucracy.
“In conformity with the marching order of the President… everyone can expect major changes in the bureau. We will start first with the first mandate: Corruption. When we address this, along the way that will also consequently improve collections.”
The “One-Strike Rule” for BoC personnel engaged in corrupt practices have already resulted in the dismissal of over 100 BoC employees.