Customs Commissioner John Phillip Sevilla clarified he has not filed his resignation and is still head of the Bureau of Customs (BOC) as another wave of rumors circulated he has stepped down from his post.
In a press conference on April 20, Sevilla said these talks are just “background noise” for him now. He also made it clear he has not submitted any formal resignation to Malacañang or BOC’s mother agency, the Department of Finance.
Curiously, rumors of Sevilla’s departure from the BOC continued to circulate even after the Customs chief said he was staying. The latest talk is that former BOC commissioner Alberto Lina will once again head the post, and that he would take his oath of office as early as this week.
Last week, Sevilla’s supposed resignation resurfaced in the media and the cargo community.
“It hasn’t affected me,” Sevilla said, when asked if the rumors have affected operations at BOC. “We’re very focused. There’s plenty of work here. We can’t afford to be distracted by these things.”
Asked how long he intends to stay at the BOC, Sevilla said: “I have a hard enough time thinking what to do this afternoon. I don’t think beyond the day. We have plenty of work.”
He also confirmed that many politicians are talking to him and asking for favors. “Ask them,” was Sevilla’s only reply when asked what these favors were, as he also declined to give details.
The Customs chief said he is trying to change BOC’s system “so that nobody needs special treatment” and “favors.”
He noted that everybody is “entitled to the best services of Customs.”
Sevilla said his aim is for regular BOC processes to be efficient enough, just as they are in other countries, and noted that government should not be a hindrance for businesses trying to be competitive.
He also said he is not giving special treatment to anyone, but will take action if someone is being treated unfairly.
“Sa’kin, pag may maling ginagawa sa iyo, ayusin natin yan, pero kung gusto mong sumingit sa pila, hindi pwede yan (For me, if someone treats you badly, let’s fix it, but if you want to jump the queue, that’s not acceptable),” Sevilla said.
The Customs chief said that by the end of the year, BOC’s goal is to make the processing of entries take only four hours from submission of complete documents up to final assessment. The process will be speeded up, Sevilla noted, when the enhanced integrated customs processing system and National Single Window Phase 2 are up and running by next year. The lone passing bidder is currently undergoing technical assessment by the Department of Budget and Management-Procurement Services.
The new system, which will be BOC’s single platform and include the NSW, will provide a paperless environment and minimize contact between a BOC official and an importer or customs broker.
Moreover, Sevilla said BOC is training some government agencies to utilize the existing NSW. By June, 15 government agencies of the 38 intended users will be able to utilize the NSW, up from the current 11 users.– Text and photo by Roumina Pablo
