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A total of 228 customs personnel issued show cause orders since January 2019. Of this, 135 were investigated, 45 slapped administrative cases.
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Seven criminal cases were filed before the Department of Justice, 157 cases before the Office of the Ombudsman, and 28 cases before the National Bureau of Investigation.
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708 personnel have been reshuffled to various offices, of which 62 were relieved from duty or put on floating status.
The Bureau of Customs (BOC) has issued show cause orders to 228 customs personnel from January 2019 to October 26, 2020 as part of its drive against graft and corruption.
Of the 228 personnel suspected of involvement in corrupt practices, 135 were investigated by BOC’s Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service (CIIS).
As a result, 45 were charged with administrative cases before the agency’s Legal Service, BOC said in a statement. This further resulted in seven criminal cases filed before the Department of Justice (DOJ), 157 cases before the Office of the Ombudsman, and 28 cases before the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).
A total of 26 cases, meanwhile, are still pending hearing before the Legal Service, 142 are pending before the Ombudsman, and seven before the DOJ. There are also 28 cases and 95 cases pending investigation before the NBI and BOC, respectively.
BOC said its investigations and case filing resulted in the dismissal of 20 personnel, suspension of four, and reprimand of another four.
Further, of the 109 Customs Personnel Orders issued by BOC and approved by Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III from January 1 to October 26 this year, 708 personnel have been reshuffled to various offices, of which 62 were relieved from duty or placed on floating status.
“The BOC aims to send a clear and firm message to all Customs personnel doing unlawful activities that the Bureau will be relentless, unwavering, and serious with its efforts to weed out misfits in the agency,” the agency said in a statement.
BOC also enjoined the public to provide information on illegal and irregular activities committed by customs personnel in performing their duties.
READ: BOC, BIR, DPWH priority agencies in gov’t corruption probe
Relatedly, BOC has been identified by DOJ as one of the priority agencies that will undergo a government-wide probe on alleged corruption as ordered by President Rodrigo Duterte.
