BOC chief sacks collector over missing sacks of rice

Customs Commissioner Napoleon Morales on Jan. 8 implemented the order of the Office of the Ombudsman and dismissed from the service the former district collector of the Port of Iloilo and three others over the missing 39,000 sacks of rice.

In a statement, the Bureau of Customs said Gerardo Gonzales Jr., Customs guard Ernesto Chan, Customs Operations Officer IV Dolores Domingo, and messenger Chito Orbeta have been ordered removed from the service. 

Gonzales was reportedly the incumbent deputy district collector at the BOC-Port of Davao when Morales issued the dismissal order on Thursday. 

They were administratively charged before the Office of the Ombudsman last July 4 on the grounds of grave misconduct, gross neglect of duty and/or conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service relative to the missing 39,000 sacks of rice that were confiscated in the Port of Iloilo.

Morales said that he implemented the Ombudsman order because he places primary importance on the professionalism and integrity of the agency’s employees.  

The Ombudsman reportedly found sufficient evidence against Gonzales and Chan and meted them with the penalty of dismissal from service with forfeiture of all benefits.  Domingo and Orbeta were allegedly guilty of grave misconduct, dishonesty and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service for non-inclusion of her properties in her Statement of Assets and Liabilities (SAL) and acquisition of ill-gotten wealth.  Apart from being dismissed, their eligibilities were also revoked, their retirement benefits were forfeited and they have been given perpetual disqualification of reemployment in the government service.  – Evelyn Macairan