BOC: Person accepting bribe isn’t from customs bureau

MANILA, Philippines – A person caught allegedly accepting bribe money turned out to not be from the Bureau of Customs (BOC).

Closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage from the BOC command center showed an employee of the Asian Terminal Inc (ATI) was involved.

Special Collection Officer Chito Libunao later clarified, however, they are from the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA). Libunao added payments made to them are legal and they provide receipts.

Some brokers and importers said they paid wharfage fees personally at the Port of Manila building. They also said payments they made to banks were for the Terminal Appointment Booking Systems. 

At a press briefing, BOC Commissioner Nicanor Faeldon exclaimed, “Last week I announced that we have installed CCTV cameras already and everyone is supposed to know that. And then last Monday, this happened.”

In contrast to earlier reports that the one taking a bribe was from the BOC, Faeldon traced the available information. An unnamed female employee from the ATI assigned to Window 1 of Room 104 was caught on the camera accepting money from importers to get gate passes.

The footage – taken 11:34 am of September 5, showed the employee taking an undetermined amount of cash from under the documents submitted to her, keeping it within a drawer.

ATI employees disputed allegations of corruption, however, as they have the authority to to receive wharfage fee payments from brokers, importers or their authorized representatives. They are also the final step in filing import entries prior to the release of gate passes.  

Faeldon has already submitted the CCTV footage to the Department of Justice (DOJ) to allow the DOJ to further investigate the matter. The Bureau of Customs will also coordinate with the ATI and PPA to resolve this. – Rappler.com