The Bureau of Customs (BOC) has issued a new directive further clarifying hiring procedures to ensure continued operations as it recruits new personnel in line with the agency’s anti-nepotism drive.
Customs Administrative Order (CAO) No. 02-2015, signed January 12, further clarifies provisions under CAO No. 03-2014, or BOC’s anti-nepotism rules, which prohibits the appointment of relatives within the same agency.
BOC said CAO No. 02-12015 was issued to “prevent disruption in the performance of public functions and rendering of public services” due to the non-renewal of contract services that expired on December 3,1 as prescribed under CAO No. 03-2014.
Under CAO No. 03-2014, no relative of a current officer or employee of BOC can be appointed or designated to any position in the agency. This applies to applicants with relatives in the BOC of up to the fourth degree of consanguinity.
The new directive also allows BOC sufficient time to hire and train new individuals under contract of service to replace those whose contracts may no longer be renewed pursuant to CAO No. 03-2014.
Likewise, it gives those with terminated contracts under CAO No. 03-2014 sufficient time to find employment outside of BOC.
To ensure this, under CAO No. 02-2015, BOC said that all qualified individuals whose contracts of service expired on December 31, 2014 may, as an exception to the prohibition under CAO No. 03-2014, be allowed to renew their job contracts with BOC for another term not exceeding six months. This is subject to existing rules and procedures on selection and hiring, and to the discretion of the recommending authorities and the Customs commissioner.
However, once the renewed contract expires, it will no longer be extended, unless an employee’s disqualification under CAO 03-2014 has been removed.
BOC is currently hiring staff for over 1,000 plantilla positions in its main office and collection districts as part of reform efforts by the government in the agency that has been dubbed as one of the most corrupt in the country. — Roumina Pablo
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