Let us support the ‘total reboot’ of the Bureau of Customs

EVEN as he is still warming up in his seat as Bureau of Customs commissioner, former Department of National Defense Undersecretary Ariel Nepomuceno, on his first 5 days in office, issued two important policy directives that showed his keen awareness on the questionable and scandalous goings on inside the agency.

The first is a temporary stop to the implementation of all ‘LOAs’ (Letter of Authority) and ‘MOs’ (Mission Orders) pending review of the result of their implementation and the second, putting a stop to the prevalent and scandalous current situation of ‘conflict-of-interest’ involving ranking and even ordinary employees in the customs brokerage business.

This policy changes may look ‘trivial’ given the gravity and complexity of the problems that plague the agency. Still, they are steps in the right direction that Comm. Nepomuceno would like the BOC to take under his watch— a reform process anchored on the path of credibility and integrity guided by ethical practices.

As well, his humility and calm demeanor should not be mistaken as a “weakness” that those with ulterior motive think they can readily exploit.

‘Reform,’ of course, is the most abused word by all those appointed to head the customs bureau as far as we can remember. But in the case of Nepomuceno, there is every reason to believe about his seriousness.

As a student of history (Nepomuceno graduated magna cum laude with a degree on history at the University of the Philippines) and disciplined by his being a member of Class 1987 at the Philippine Military Academy as well as having his practicum on life’s lessons as a field reporter for ABS-CBN in his earlier days, it can be argued that the new customs chief is not only aware of the historical ills that has hounded the agency but also, the practical ways on how to address them.

With a master’s degree on management from the prestigious Asian Institute of Management (AIM), it can be said that Comm. Nepomuceno is also equipped to handle the arduous task of overseeing the management of the BOC despite its complex and overlapping organizational structure.

Too, he has never been known to be greedy about money or position to the point that he had to sacrifice his core principles just to satisfy the powers-that-be or stay in his post. Comm. Nepomuceno has the sole distinction of resigning from the agency in 2018 as Assistant Commissioner after concluding that he is no longer “happy” in his work as head of the Post Clearance Audit Group.

Given these strengths, we can see that his ambitious goal of ‘rebooting’ the agency to meet its present and future challenges would not appear to be overly ambitious after all.

As we see it, his first two policy declarations, significant as they already are, are just the start of the many that he would be announcing in the coming days if genuine and lasting reforms are to take root at the BOC.

As well, his humility and calm demeanor should not be mistaken as a “weakness” that those with ulterior motive think they can readily exploit.

Given a free hand by the President to implement measures that he deemed needed and necessary for the greater good, those planning behind the back of Comm. Nepomuceno at the expense of the agency’s interests would pay for their transgressions, very dearly, we dare say.

Let us support Comm. Nepomuceno’s effort to reboot the Bureau of Customs.