Bureau of Customs replies

This is about the news item, “BOC questioned over release of P1.4 billion goods” under Elizabeth Marcelo’s byline, published in your newspaper on Aug. 5, 2022.

In the interest of fair reporting, we wish to clarify that the Audit Observation Memoranda (AOM) only contains the initial report of the Commission of Audit (COA).

The BOC already addressed the initial audit observations in the reports submitted to the COA, dated April 27, 2021, March 14, 2022 and May 16, 2022, to wit:

1. The entries cited do not require clearances from the Import Assessment Service (IAS) because they are excluded from the coverage of CMC 70-2014, being members of the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines Inc. (CAMPI) and Association of Vehicle Importers and Distributors Inc. (AVID). The exclusion was withdrawn on Jan. 31, 2019, per the Commissioner’s Memorandum of the same date. These shipments were assessed before this date, thus still excluded from the IAS clearance requirement.

2. The acting chief of the Accounts Management Office (AMO) has issued a Memorandum dated May 13, 2022, directing all Collection Districts to furnish AMO with Warrants of Seizure and Detention/Abandonment Cases or any other notices involving a violation of CMTA and other customs laws, rules and regulations at the ports.

The AMO has also coordinated with the Management Information and Technology Group (MISTG) and the Risk Management Office (RMO) so it can be given access to the Offense Management System (OMS), so it can adequately monitor all violations of importers and brokers and take actions as warranted.  – Yogi Filemon L. Ruiz, Acting Commissioner, Bureau of Customs