THE BUREAU of Customs (BoC) said it suspended three port collectors, after allegedly being caught accepting bribes.
Commissioner Nicanor E. Faeldon said that he ordered the preventive suspension of the employees, pending the investigation of their cases by the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service.
Once sufficient evidence is filed, criminal charges will be filed before the Office of the Ombudsman.
“I have given my orders to the concerned officials of the Investigation Division to expedite the probe… criminal complaints will be filed against them before the Office of the Ombudsman,” Mr. Faeldon was quoted in a statement.
The collectors, who were based in the Manila International Container Port (MICP), were seen accepting money from brokers on several occasions while processing entries at the port, after the BoC reviewed its closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage.
“After four months of monitoring, the CCTV footage will serve as a strong evidence against them and if proven true, they should be punished,” Deputy Commissioner Gerardo O. Gambala said in the same statement.
According to the BoC, nearly 400 CCTV cameras are installed in the agency’s offices, and are being monitored 24 hours a day.
“We can see how vital these cameras are as countermeasures to curb corruption in the bureau,” Mr. Gambala said.
For his part, lawyer and district collector Vincent Philip C. Maronilla said: “There is no place for any corrupt officials at the MICP.”
“We will make sure that the full strength of the law will be applied to these employees,” Mr. Maronilla added. — Elijah Joseph C. Tubayan
