Will the Customs brew boil over?

Published by the Visayan Daily Star Publications, Inc.

NINFA R. LEONARDIA Editor-in-Chief & President

CARLA P. GOMEZ Editor GUILLERMO TEJIDA III Desk Editor NANETTE L. GUADALQUIVER Busines Editor CEDELF P. TUPAS Sports Editor (On Leave) RENE GENOVE Bureau Chief, Dumaguete MAJA P. DELY Advertising Coordinator

CARLOS ANTONIO L. LEONARDIA Administrative Officer

The man designated by Malacañang as the anti-smuggling czar has declared that he will start filing criminal and administrative charges against some 100 officials and employees of the Bureau of Customs after the discovery that several luxury vehicles had been brought into the country without the proper documentation, and without having their owners pay the commensurate taxes for them.

Among the findings recently disclosed when the cases of smuggled vehicles came to light were that most of them were misdeclared as to their models so that the amount of tax that would be levied on them would be considerably reduced. Mention was made of one such luxury car that had been recorded on its entry papers as being of the year 2000 vintage, when it was actually a 2006 model.

A businessman who is allegedly the importer of some of the vehicles has claimed to investigators that he was asked to pay P1.2 million in taxes but was issued receipts that reflected only P100,000 to P200,000.

For sure this could never have happened if the Customs personnel supposed to verify the arriving units did not turn a blind eye on the true age of the units, and had faithfully and honestly recorded the true information about them so the government could collect the exact amount due for them.

It is not surprising, therefore, that the anti-smuggling team is now focusing its fire on the people in the Bureau of Customs supposed to assess and evaluate the vehicles as they come in. It is they who are the suspects in the tampering or misrepresentation of facts in the documents that came with the units. Without their consent or connivance, or even the participation of some higher-ups, both in their own bureau or out of it, it is not likely that they would have the temerity to commit such blatant graft.

Not surprisingly, the head of the bureau himself balks at the idea of charging his men. He is demanding proof of wrongdoing, and due process for them. We do not think his reaction is surprising. And we will not also be surprised if, after all the sound and fury, silence will later reign and we will end up with nothing.*