BUREAU of Customs Commissioner Ariel F. Nepomuceno is determined to hit, if not surpass, the agency’s assigned collection target this year of about P940 billion despite surpassing its assigned target in July, his first full month in office.
In a talk with Pinoy Exposé, the customs chief said he would be giving all district collectors a minimum of two months to meet their assigned targets or be removed from their posts.
“Of course, they would be evaluated based on the parameters particular in their respective areas. If they cannot justify the shortfall, they would be removed,” Comm. Nepomuceno said.
He said the new “marching order” is among those he intends to discuss when he convenes his first ‘Collectors’ Conference’ scheduled this coming week at Clark, since assuming the top customs post last month.
The report from the bureau’s Financial Service said the BOC collected P85.459 billion, for a surplus collection of P1.084 billion in July, from its assigned target of P84.365 billion, the highest monthly collection thus far this year.
The figure is also 6.4 percent higher compared to the P80.355 billion collection for the same period last year; it is also P8.424 billion higher than the collection in June that only reached P77.035 billion.
Entering the second semester of the year, the BOC has already collected P544.230 billion, or nearly half of its assigned target up to the end of the year.
Comm. Nepomuceno’s policy of giving district collectors two months to perform is “milder” compared during the term of his predecessor, Commissioner Isidro Lapeña, the second customs chief under President Rodrigo Duterte.
At the time, district collectors are only given one month to perform in terms of meeting their assigned target. Those who failed are immediately relieved from their post.
‘Irrevocable resignation’
Commissioner Nepomuceno also confirmed endorsing to Department of Finance Secretary Ralph Recto last August 8, the “irrevocable resignation” of Ronnel Hombre, Deputy Commissioner for Management and Information and Systems Technology Group (MISTG).
Hombre submitted his resignation to President Marcos Jr., last August 1.
Although no reason was given, informed sources said Hombre chose to resign after getting a “hint” that he would be fired from his post. “Let us just say its ‘graceful exit’ on the part of Hombre,” according to one custom official.
Hombre joined the BOC only last October 2024 with the rank of Director III, before being promoted to head the MISTG.