Cleaning up the BOC

Ruffy Biazon bade an emotional goodbye to the Bureau of Customs, following a tumultuous stint as its commissioner. There is speculation that his departure would be followed by militarization as several retired officers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines take over key posts in what has long been regarded – as indicated in surveys – as one of the most corrupt government agencies.

It won’t be the first time, however, that retired military officers will assume BOC posts. And Biazon isn’t the first commissioner to be hounded out of office by controversy. One Customs commissioner did not last a month in the post, resigning irrevocably after one of the most powerful individuals at the time reportedly introduced him to several notorious smugglers and told him they were untouchable.

Biazon, a former congressman, has no background in finance, which presumably is needed if you don’t want crooks at the BOC running rings around their chief. Will retired soldiers put the fear of God into the hearts of crooks? Unlikely.

Some quarters have proposed that Revenue Commissioner Kim Henares, or someone with similar financial savvy and a clean record should replace Biazon. The idea is that someone with financial expertise will know enough to implement long-needed institutional reforms that will plug opportunities for corruption in the BOC.

Those opportunities abound in all aspects of doing business with the bureau. Red tape at every step opens doors for facilitation fees. The valuation system for shipments offers unlimited room for corruption. It shouldn’t take an Albert Einstein to design a system by which BOC personnel can be held accountable for delays, inefficiencies and corruption in the bureau. Unless systems and procedures are changed, crooked ways in the BOC will continue.