A day after President Aquino admonished the Bureau of Customs (BOC) in his State of the Nation Address (Sona), Customs Commissioner Ruffy Biazon said a major revamp would be implemented in the bureau soon.
鈥淭he coming revamp in the BOC shall cover all levels and this will not be influenced by politicians and other power blocs,鈥� Biazon said as he warned all bureau officials and employees to heed the President鈥檚 call for reforms in the agency.
He said the President鈥檚 warning to BOC personnel engaged in smuggling should send a strong message for them to shape up or resign.
In his fourth Sona at the opening of the 16th Congress, Aquino singled out personnel of the BOC, Bureau of Immigration and the National Irrigation Administration for their incompetence, saying they had no place in government.
鈥淲here do these people get the gall?鈥� he asked, referring to BOC officials and employees who abetted the smuggling of goods, drugs and arms, among other items, into the country鈥檚 ports.
Aquino warned that such practices had no place in government. 鈥淚f you can鈥檛 do your job, you do not deserve to remain in office,鈥� he said.
Biazon immediately offered his resignation to the President after his speech, but he said Aquino assured him of his continued confidence in him.
Responding to Biazon鈥檚 offer to quit his post, Aquino said in a text message: 鈥淩uffy, we both know the difficulties in the agency you are trying to reform. My confidence in you remains the same.鈥�
Dilemma
Biazon said he faced a moral dilemma. 鈥淒o I continue to fight for what I believe in, which is reforming the bureau, or do I simply give up? But the President said he has confidence [in me] so I take it as a continuation of the marching order he gave me when he appointed me,鈥� he told reporters.
Biazon said he did not offer an irrevocable resignation because he was considering the efforts that he had already made to reform the bureau.
Asked to comment about some people鈥檚 impression that he was being kapit tuko (clinging to his office), Biazon said: 鈥淚 offered my resignation after Sona. Is that kapit tuko?鈥�
He said he would take the President鈥檚 continued confidence in him as his inspiration to pursue his vision of a reformed BOC, even as he explained that there were other factors that may influence his stay in the bureau.
Without shedding a tear
鈥�(A)side from the President鈥檚 trust and confidence, of course, I have to consider the decision of my family and my close friends.鈥� Biazon said.
鈥淏ut I will not hesitate to resign鈥攚ithout shedding a tear鈥攁nytime once I feel I have lost the President鈥檚 trust. I will fight for what I believe is right and in pursuit of protecting the government鈥檚 interest,鈥� he added.
In the House of Representatives, his father, Muntinlupa Rep. Rodolfo Biazon, said that if the harsh words that Aquino delivered during his address were directed at his son, then the President would have accepted the customs chief鈥檚 resignation.
The elder Biazon said the President鈥檚 scathing criticism of the BOC gave his son a free hand in changing the way things were done in the agency.
But for the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA), Aquino was sending mixed signals in rejecting Ruffy Biazon鈥檚 resignation.
鈥淩uffy Biazon did the right thing by immediately offering to resign. We commend him for showing delicadeza. But the response of the President was puzzling, especially if you consider the harsh words and the serious warning he issued against the BOC,鈥� UNA secretary general and Navotas Rep. Toby Tiangco said in a statement.
Demoralizing
Tiangco said the President鈥檚 message against corruption was heard clearly, but was muddled by his decision to keep the younger Biazon. He said the speech did not 鈥渨alk the talk.鈥�
鈥淚nstead, the fight against corruption may be well seen as a lukewarm battle. The forgiving treatment and justification given by exonerating those at the helm of the Bureau of Customs are demoralizing and have a negative impact,鈥� he said.
Biazon said he would not contest the President鈥檚 Sona but said he would later submit reports of the actual accomplishments with regard to the issues raised in his speech.
Revenue losses
On the President鈥檚 claim that more than P200 billion in revenue was slipping through our borders without going into public coffers, Biazon said the BOC and the Department of Finance would reconcile their records.
He, however, explained that free-trade agreements the country had entered into were part of the reason for the BOC鈥檚 collection shortfall.
鈥淚n 2012, for instance, the BOC鈥檚 collection shortfall was placed at over P60 billion. However, the estimated foregone revenue for that year due to free-trade agreements was placed at over P62 billion,鈥� Biazon said.
The BOC is the second-biggest revenue earner for the national government after the Bureau of Internal Revenue.
BOC to miss target
Biazon acknowledged that the bureau was likely to miss its revenue collection target for 2013.
He said weaker-than-expected merchandise imports were a drag on revenue collection.
Believing that imports would not significantly recover in the coming months, Biazon said the BOC鈥檚 revenue collection target may no longer be attainable.
For 2013, the BOC is tasked with collecting P340 billion in import taxes and duties. The target was lower than the original P397 billion set earlier in the year. Despite the reduction, the BOC thinks the new target is still difficult to achieve given the substantial drop in imports.
鈥淐onsidering the slowdown of imports, we are not positive on meeting the target,鈥� Biazon told reporters.
He said, however, that the BOC may still register an increase in revenue collection from the P289 billion recorded in 2012.
Besides anemic imports, Biazon acknowledged that the continuing culture of corruption in the BOC and among private firms that transacted business with the agency was to blame for its discouraging performance.
In a radio interview, the former Muntinlupa City legislator pointed to the 鈥渃onnivance between corrupt government officials and corrupt businessmen鈥� for smuggling at the major ports.
Earlier in a text message, he told the Inquirer 鈥渢hose who continue to engage in illegal activities in connivance with smugglers will be targeted and will face the full force of the law.鈥濃��With a report from Jerry E. Esplanada
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