Customs men ordered to limit use of forfeited motor vehicles

Commissioner Antonio Bernardo of the Bureau of Customs issued yesterday a memorandum order limiting the use of forfeited motor vehicles by Customs personnel to prevent abuse and misuse.

Under the new guidelines spelling out the rules on the use of forfeited motor vehicles, only Customs officials with at least the rank of division chief are authorized to use them.

Bernardo also ordered district ports to submit a report of forfeited motor vehicles which have been assigned to bureau personnel, stating all details of assignment.

According to Bernardo, some of the motor vehicles which have been assigned Customs personnel were not covered by a Memorandum Receipt (MR), in violation of existing rules and regulations.

The number of forfeited vehicles assigned to the agency’s personnel could not be determined yet, but sources said they were close to a hundred.

The bureau in the past assigned forfeited motor vehicles to a number of its personnel, even to lower rank employees with "proper connections."

"For all bureau officials and employees who are now in possession and are using forfeited motor vehicles taken from any port, whether or not covered by a Memorandum Receipt, to submit a report to the Commissioner not later than July 15," Bernardo’s order read.