More Customs intelligence staff to be reshuffled

MANILA, Philippines – Another reshuffle of officers and personnel in the Intelligence Group (IG) of the Bureau of Customs (BOC) is expected, following the agency’s massive revamp last May.

“The intention of [Deputy Commissioner for Intelligence Jessie Dellosa] is to make a rotation again of those not affected by this rotation,” said Ronald Jess Alcudia, head executive assistant of Dellosa.

Alcudia added that there are at least one or two intelligence personnel who are still left in the port and were not moved to new positions.

The transfers will be accompanied by training, said Alcudia.

“We need to revisit the IG and what expectations, duties and responsibilities in different collection districts [are]. Different roles in customs operations [are] to be appreciated by personnel,” he said.

Last month, the BOC rotated 142 IG personnel in 17 major collection districts and the different divisions of the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service to make them responsive and supportive of the reforms by Customs Commissioner John Sevilla, who was appointed by President Benigno Aquino III in December 2013.

The Customs Personnel Orders (CPO) for the reshuffle was signed on May 26 by Sevilla and approved by Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima. It affected over 80% of intelligence personnel, most of whom have been in their posts for many years.

Both CPOs, effective immediately, are part of a string of changes at the bureau, among them, the appointment of new top-level officials and the return of employees to their mother units.

The Customs began implementing reforms late 2013 in an effort to plug holes in its collection system and generate more revenues for the government. (WATCH: Sevilla: Fixing the Customs’ image) – Rappler.com