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Customs Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno strictly prohibited all Bureau of Customs personnel from holding any interest in customs brokerage operations
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The directive issued on July 10 is part of the agency’s intensified efforts to eliminate conflicts of interest and reinforce transparency within its ranks
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All BOC personnel are required to submit a verified affidavit disclosing any familial relationship with individuals involved in customs brokerage businesses, regardless of their role or status
Customs Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno has strictly prohibited all Bureau of Customs (BOC) personnel from holding any interest in customs brokerage operations.
Office of the Commissioner Memo No. 39-2025 signed on July 10 is part of the agency’s intensified efforts to eliminate conflicts of interest and reinforce transparency within its ranks, and is in response to President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.’s call for good governance, BOC said in a statement.
Citing Section 13, Article VI of the 1987 Philippine Constitution and Section 3(i) of Republic Act No. 6713 or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees, the directive affirms that no government officer or employee shall be involved in private business or enterprise where such involvement compromises the impartiality of public duty.
In line with Section 12, Rule XVIII of the Revised Civil Service Rules, the policy reiterates that officers whose duties require full-time government service are prohibited from engaging in private business without written authority.
BOC said it now extends the ruling further with a categorical ban on any involvement, direct or indirect, in customs brokerage businesses. This includes roles as owner, incorporator, stockholder, partner, consultant, advisor, or in any other capacity that may raise ethical concerns.
Moreover, all BOC personnel are now required to submit a verified affidavit to the Office of the Commissioner within 10 days from the issuance of the memorandum. The affidavit must disclose any familial relationship, by consanguinity or affinity within the fourth civil degree, with individuals involved in customs brokerage businesses, regardless of their role or status in the entities. The affidavit must also identify the name, address, and contact information of the brokerage concerned, along with other relevant details.
The disclosure obligation remains mandatory even in instances where the individual’s involvement or affiliation has ceased within the last five years. This includes customs brokerages that have stopped operations, those where shares were already divested or transferred, or where the individual was previously listed as an incorporator despite no longer holding interest.
Nepomuceno emphasized that this reform is in strict compliance with Customs Memorandum Orders 25-2010 (BOC Function-Specific Code of Conduct) and 23-2008 (Effective Management of BOC Integrity Action Plan), and is anchored on Section 9 of the BOC Integrity Action Plan. Section 9 prohibits Customs officials from engaging in business transactions with brokers, importers, or exporters under circumstances that could compromise their duties, and forbids them from holding interests or positions in any private enterprise regulated or supervised by the BOC.
BOC said the memo is unequivocal in its warning, thus failure to comply will be met with sanctions in accordance with applicable laws.
“This is more than policy. It is a public declaration that the Bureau of Customs will no longer tolerate practices that breed corruption, favoritism, or undue influence. We are placing public interest above personal gain,” Nepomuceno said.
BOC also enjoined all personnel to “comply faithfully and urgently with the directive, and to uphold the values of honesty, impartiality, and professionalism in service to the Filipino people.”
