BOC CHIEF CRACKS WHIP, RELIEVES BOC COLLECTOR

BUREAU of Customs Commissioner Ariel F. Nepomuceno has finally dropped his ‘mild-manner’ image that some people mistook as a “weakness” that they can exploit to their advantage as he ordered the relief and investigation of the head of the bureau’s Collection Service, Atty. Marlon Fritz Broto.

In a ‘Show Cause Order’ dated September 12, Comm. Nepomuceno directed Broto and his subordinate, Lord Jane P. Autriz, Acting Chief, Liquidation and Assessment Audit Division (LAAD), to explain within 5 days why they should not be charged with grave misconduct and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service.

The Customs Chief also asked Broto and Autriz to include why they should not be slapped with criminal charges for violation of RA 3019 or the ‘Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.’

The above offenses are all punishable with dismissal from the service, forfeiture of all benefits and potential prison terms, if convicted.

Broto’s relief and investigation also showed that Comm. Nepomuceno has the full support of Malacañang in restoring discipline inside the agency. As Director III, Broto is an appointee of President Marcos Jr.

Broto previously served as district collector at the Port of Subic prior to his promotion as Director III and head of the Collection Service.

His relief and investigation also showed that Comm. Nepomuceno has the full support of Malacañang in restoring discipline inside the agency. As Director III, Broto is an appointee of President Marcos Jr.

In a separate show of his full support and confidence on Comm. Nepomuceno’s leadership and reform agenda for the BOC, Department of Finance (DOF) Secretary Ralph Recto, who is on official trip abroad, took the time to approve the personnel order (CPO B-89-2025) relieving Broto from his post.

Broto is now under floating status at the office of Atty. Arnel P. Alambra, Deputy Commissioner for Revenue Collection Monitoring Group (RCMG).

A day earlier, on September 11, which was also his birthday, Commissioner Nepomuceno, instead of having a leisurely workday, directed Broto in a separate memorandum to immediately stop issuing notices of ‘preliminary investigation’ to importers and consignees and to submit, also within 5 days, an inventory and status of all previously issued notices.

In his show cause order, Comm. Nepomuceno reminded Broto and Autriz that under Executive Order 46, series of 2017, and Customs Administrative Order (CAO) 01-2019, the BOC’s post clearance audit function is vested with the Post Clearance Audit Group (PCAG) under the supervision of the Commissioner of Customs.

Prior to his resignation in 2018, Nepomuceno also served as head of the PCAG, then known as ‘PEAG’ or the ‘Post Entry Audit Group.’

The PCAG is presently headed by Assistant Commissioner Atty. Vincent Maronilla, who is also the bureau’s spokesperson.

Nepomuceno said he was “deeply bothered” when he started receiving information that Broto has been going behind his back and of Broto’s immediate superior, Depcomm. Alambra, in summoning importers for a preliminary investigation of their tax deficiencies, an act that also usurped the mandate of PCAG.

What people don’t know

Unknown to most bureau officials, Comm. Nepomuceno has been in constant communication with the country’s national intelligence community and other sources of information that enabled him to discreetly monitor the goings on in the agency.

Unbeknown also to many, Comm. Nepomuceno, since his assumption last July, had already forced the resignation the following month of a ranking customs official and nearly sent into early retirement a top official from the Enforcement and Security Service (ESS/Customs Police).

The official hastily issued his ‘irrevocable resignation’ to President Marcos Jr. last August 1, after being found out of collecting money from those seeking for transfer and promotion in the reshuffle initiated by Nepomuceno last August.

“The guy already has his own list of those he wants to transfer or promoted without the knowledge and approval of Comm. Nepomuceno,” sources familiar with the incident bared.

Worse, the official was also found to be exploiting his closeness to a member of the First Family in soliciting money from customs personnel and waterfront stakeholders.

The police official on the other hand, was nearly sacked for disobeying Nepomuceno’s directive in the implementation of the search warrant early this month in Pasig City involving the luxury vehicles of couple Pacifico ‘Curlee’ and Cesarah ‘Sarah’ Discaya.

The Discayas are now at the center of the multi-billion flood control project scandal.