Senate President Pro-Tempore Ralph Recto has urged Malacanang to “fix the mess” plaguing the Bureau of Customs (BOC) or risk losing one of the country’s biggest source of revenue to fund ongoing government programs.
“The government will not be able to deliver on its promises to the people if its second biggest source of revenue is “broken, malfunctioning and damaged,” a senator said Friday.
The BOC is currently under fire for allowing PHP6.4 billion-worth of shabu from China to slip through the bureau.
BOC’s Intelligence and Investigation Service Director Neil Anthony Estrella stepped down from his position on Tuesday, August 8, in wake of the controversy.
Recto said that with the resignation of most members of the current management, a new team must be appointed immediately.
“New appointees must be competent and ethical people, and knowledgeable of the intricacies and culture of Customs operators. The country cannot afford OJTs (on-the-job trainees) on training wheels being appointed to such a crucial job,” Recto added.
Recto also pointed out that scandals concerning the BOC should be solved as a matter of national urgency.
“If the government were a vehicle, BOC’s job is to fill one-fifth of the fuel tank. If it fails to deliver, if it misses its quota, the vehicle will not reach its destination, or is forced to unload passengers, or will sputter along the way,” Recto said in a statement.
(Report via PNA)
Photo credit: UNTV
