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A Bureau of Customs acting collecting officer and concurrent custodian at the Laguna Technopark, Inc. was arrested for fixing and extortion
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A businessman dealing in scrap materials claimed the BOC officer had been asking for an amount equivalent to almost 100% of tax computed for every transaction
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The entrapment operation was conducted by the Anti-Red Tape Authority and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group
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The BOC employee is now in the custody of the CIDG and faces charges in relation to the Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act of 2018
A Bureau of Customs (BOC) employee in Biñan, Laguna was arrested for alleged fixing and extortion following an Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) and Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) entrapment operation.
In a statement, ARTA said the suspect was identified as an acting collecting officer and concurrent custodian of BOC at the Laguna Technopark, Inc. in Biñan, Laguna.
Investigation showed that at around 8 a.m. on August 4, a businessman handling scrap materials in the said area filed a complaint before ARTA alleging that the acting collecting officer had been asking him for almost 100% of the tax computed for every transaction.
At around 4 p.m., elements of ARTA and CIDG launched an entrapment operation that led to the arrest of the suspect.
The BOC employee is now in the custody of the CIDG and will be facing appropriate charges in relation to Republic Act No. 11032 or the Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act of 2018.
“True to our commitment to the Filipino public, you will see that we are not just going after small-time fixers, but government employees and officials as well. Through our continuous application of our snake-grab approach, we will eventually get to the body and head of the snake in the government offices,” ARTA director general Jeremiah Belgica said.
“Although ARTA has been operating undercover against fixers even after just receiving anonymous tips, we are happy that there are people who now directly come to us to file their complaints,” Belgica added.
