Bibit: Abolish 5 Customs enforcement units

CEBU CITY — Cebu Customs district collector Billy Bibit is seeking the abolition of five enforcement groups in the Bureau of Customs because of their inability to contribute to the collection of revenues.

"It’s only in Cebu, among the 14 port collection bureaus, where there are so many enforcement groups and yet these are not adding to the collection of this port," Bibit said.

He said the five enforcement groups are the Customs Intelligence and Investigation-Visayas, the CIIS-Mindanao, the Intelligence and Enforcement Group, the narcotics group, and the scanning unit.

Bibit said it is enough to have the CIIS-Port of Cebu and the Enforcement and Security Services only, alleging that all the other units are just making the importers and exporters their milking cows.

He said he wants to maintain a client-friendly port, free from irregularities, but abolishing the five enforcement groups may not be that easy considering that they are not under his direct control and supervision.

Among other anomalies, Bibit said members of these groups allegedly extort money from importers and exporters in exchange for a fast and unhampered release of their shipments, giving a bad image to the port.

A source, who requested anonymity, alleged that a member of one of these groups had openly asked from a shipper P5,000 for each of 18 container vans filled with smuggled rice, in exchange for their release.

The source also alleged that this Customs worker was involved in the disappearance of the M/V Great Faith and its 20,000 bags of rice.

Bibit said these groups allegedly have the habit of recommending hold or alert orders on cargo loaded on ships which are still off the coast.

He said this is pure harassment which only prompts smugglers to put excess cargo on their declared shipment, intended "for the boys."

To check on this anomaly, Bibit has issued a memorandum ordering that all alert orders must be accompanied by a justification sheet, subject to his approval. — Freeman News Service