THE Bureau of Customs (BOC) under acting commissioner, Yogi Filemon Ruiz, assured they have already addressed the adverse findings by the Commission on Audit (COA) in relation to the agency’s performance last year that cover the term of his predecessor, former Armed Forces (AFP) chief of staff, Rey Leonardo Guerrero.

In a statement last August 9, 2022, the BOC said that as far back as April 27, 2021, they have already started submitting to state auditors, explanations for some of the concerns they have raised, followed by more explanations last March 14, 2022 and last May 16, 2022.

In a report by the mainstream media, COA questioned the agency’s release of some “553 regulated commodities despite the lack of import permits and other supporting documents…thus, defeating the purpose for which (these) rules and regulations were established.”

But according to the BOC Accounting Division, the entries cited by state auditors do not require clearances from the Imports Assessment Service (IAS).

“As such, 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 agency said.

It noted further that the shipments under question were then not covered by a January 19, 2019 memorandum signed by Guerrero which subsequently withdrew their exclusion from the clearance requirement by the IAS.

On the failure to suspend or revoke the accreditation of erring importers, 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 (WSD)/abandonment cases or any other notices involving the violation of CMTA and other customs laws, rules, and regulations at the ports.

The directive was in response to the finding of the COA claiming that some 974 “erring importers” continue to transact their business at the BOC.

“Lack of effective/strict monitoring and coordination in the process of accreditation of importers, which signifies lack of internal control, resulted in 974 importers who were not suspended/revoked appropriately by the BOC and were allowed to import 77,049 consumption entries with assessed duties and taxes amounting to P28.954 billion despite violations of laws, rules, and regulations,” the COA said.

In his press conference on Wednesday, August 10, 2022, Commissioner Yogi Filemon Ruiz, said he is also interested to find out the result of the inventory and the status of all registered importers and customs brokers with the agency.

“Kung may kailangang managot, may mananagot talaga,” he said.

The AMO, for its part, claimed it has been coordinating with the Management Information and Technology Group (MISTG) and the Risk Management Office (RMO), so it can be given access to the Offence Management System (OMS) to monitor all violations of importers and brokers and take actions as warranted.

The COA’s record had shown that 644 of the importers have records of “violations, seizure/ abandonment and smuggling cases” while 330 importers were considered “habitual violators” in terms of proper declaration of their imports.

It also claimed to have discovered that 762 of the erring importers “remain in active status and continuously transact with BOC” while 45 importers that have expired accreditations have not been not suspended or their accreditation revoked, thus allowing them to continue transacting with the agency.