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BOC issued 32 show cause orders and investigated 250 personnel in a crackdown on graft in the first quarter
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Two BOC employees were sacked, two others were suspended, one was reprimanded, 85 were relieved, and nine were reshuffled or reassigned due to irregular and unlawful activities
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BOC also filed one administrative case against an employee before the bureau’s Legal Service and endorsed six cases to the National Bureau of Investigation
From January to March 2022, the Bureau of Customs (BOC) fired two employees, suspended two others, reprimanded one, relieved 85, and reshuffled or moved nine to various offices and ports due to irregular and unlawful activities, the agency said in a statement.
The Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service also conducted 250 personnel investigations, which resulted in the filing of one administrative case before BOC’s Legal Service and six cases at the National Bureau of Investigation.
The latest actions followed a crackdown on irregular and unlawful activities in 2021 during which BOC issued 1,153 show-cause orders that led to three employee dismissals, 17 suspensions, six reprimands and 19 being relieved, while 721 were reshuffled or transferred to various offices and ports.
With its numerous initiatives to boost the level of integrity within the organization, BOC said “evident developments were indeed attained by the agency as verified by the improved ratings from the general public and agency stakeholders…”
In the Awareness, Institutional Trust, and Satisfaction Survey conducted by the Philippine Statistics & Research Center in 2021, BOC’s trust rating rose to 94% from 30% in 2020, the agency said.
To ensure reforms will be realized, BOC said its units and offices continue to undertake the ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management System certification. As of March 2022, 12 BOC offices comprising ports, subports, and customer care centers had obtained ISO 9001:2015 QMS certification while the rest are in various stages of compliance.
Part of BOC’s 10-point priority program this year is to sustain its integrity and quality management system by developing a more comprehensive integrity development plan and maintaining its commitment to quality management.
READ: Modernization, improved clearance processes, NSW onboarding lead BOC 2021 priorities
BOC also aims to attain a Performance Governance System institutionalized status and maintain its ISO 9001:2015 QMS certification. The bureau will likewise create an integrity plan and risk map and revise its code of conduct.
