Anti-corruption group wants to help monitor BOC activities

MANILA, Philippines - Amid reports of corruption at the Bureau of Customs (BOC), a civic anti-corruption group is volunteering to help monitor activities of the agency’s personnel.

Fr. Albert Alejo of the Ateneo de Zamboanga Social Development Office and initiator of Ehem, an anti-corruption movement of the Philippine Jesuit society, said they are volunteering to help Customs Commissioner John Phillip Sevilla stop smuggling activities in the bureau and make sure that his agency collects accurate taxes.

Sevilla said they have formed the Citizens Customs Action Network (Citizcan) to serve as a third party monitoring group at the BOC.

The Citizcan would have members from Ehem, the policy division of the Asian Institute of Management, the Kaya Natin! Movement for Good Governance and Ethical Leadership, People Power Volunteers for Reform and People’s Action Against Corruption.

Alejo said even under the Aquino administration, smuggling remains rampant in the country.

He noted that even if other “most corrupt agencies” are being monitored by third party groups, there is still no organization that watches over the operations at the BOC.

“In corruption, usually we only check if funds reach the people, but we do not check if what should have been collected go to the government,” the priest said.

For instance, he said, unscrupulous people import shipments declared as assorted spare parts when in fact these contain assembled luxury cars in order to pay less taxes.