Guerrero not spared in smear job against BOC
DTI-IPOPhils recognition belies yarn of fake goods flooding the market
BUREAU of Customs (BOC) commissioner, Rey Leonardo Guerrero, the bemedaled and highly-respected former Armed Forces chief, did not escape the ongoing smear job against the bureau and some of its officials after an online article started circulating claiming that an “unnamed BOC official” has been “unlawfully awarding” ‘LOAs (Letter of Authority) to a similarly unnamed condemnation facility which then allegedly sells off the goods brought to it for condemnation.
In a statement on June 7, 2022, the BOC branded the fresh accusation as “malicious and baseless.”
Although Guerrero was not named and that the target of the smear job is purportedly one of his subordinates, people familiar with customs processes note that the issuance of the LOA is the sole prerogative of the customs commissioner.
The malicious article is therefore viewed as an ‘indirect attack’ against the highest BOC official who has done an impressive job of reforming and modernizing the bureau’s century-old systems and processes. Guerrero’s reforms resulted to the BOC consistently meeting its annual collection target despite the economic and business ravages brought by the COVID-19 pandemic starting in early 2020.
In its statement, the BOC also belied the accusation that goods destined for condemnation are subject to the LOA.
“Meanwhile, the awarding (destruction) of seized articles is done thru a condemnation order, duly processed by a committee composed of concerned BOC offices, following a strict security and efficiency standards that applies to all condemnation facilities,” the BOC added.
Since last week, a series of articles, column pieces and radio reports started attacking the agency.
In particular, they accused Atty. Vener Baquiran and Atty. Teddy Raval, deputy commissioner for revenue monitoring (RCMG) and, deputy commissioner for enforcement (EG), respectively, of being involved in corruption and of soliciting help from outside groups for them to retain their posts.
The BOC and both officials flatly denied the accusations.
IPOPHIL award debunks another mainstream media yarn
The smear job on the agency was followed by reports that even customs brokers are calling for the removal of Baquiran and Raval and finally, a report that fake consumer goods are flooding the local market, which is an indirect attack against Guerrero’s another subordinate, Deputy Commissioner for Intelligence, Raniel T. Ramiro.
Ramiro’s office is directly in charge in going after those involved in the importation and distribution of fake consumer goods and other products.
The fresh allegation, however, was debunked by no less than the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPhils), an agency under the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).
In a ceremony last June 6, 2022, celebrating IPOPhils’ 25th anniversary, Ramiro personally received the award recognizing the BOC’s record seizure of counterfeit goods last year amounting to more than P21.65 billion, involving 38 apprehensions.
BOC records also show that since the start of 2022, the Intelligence Group under Ramiro has already made 23 seizures of fake products valued at more than P3.77 billion.
Ramiro, in a brief statement, said they continue to encourage the public to join the BOC in the campaign against smuggling and the proliferation of fake products thru the ‘8484’ text hotline.
“All information received in 8484 are treated with utmost confidentiality and are accorded appropriate actions,” Ramiro said.
He also warned the public against against unscrupulous fixers, posing as government agents to defraud importers by collecting ‘protection fees’ so their shipment will not be alerted or inspected.
“The same may be reported to the BOC’s text hotline for prompt action,” Ramiro added.
