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Bureau of Customs officials signed an anti-corruption manifesto with the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission, committing to curb corruption and cleanse the bureau
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The manifesto said officials’ failure to fulfill their part “should mean voluntary resignation from our office…”
Officials of the Bureau of Customs (BOC) have signed an anti-corruption manifesto with the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC), committing to curb corruption and cleanse the agency.
The manifesto was signed on March 30 by Customs commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero, the assistant commissioner, the deputy commissioners, the district collectors, and the division chiefs, who attended virtually.
The signatories, the manifesto read, “jointly, voluntarily, and whole-heartedly agree to” the following:
- Free ourselves from corrupt activities
- Combat corruption in our districts and offices
- Cooperate with our government in combating corruption
- Remain loyal to our oaths of office
- Inform the government through PACC of all corrupt activities that come to our knowledge
“Failure to fulfill our part in this manifesto should mean voluntary resignation from our office…” the manifesto read.
BOC, in a statement, said the manifesto supports the anti-corruption initiatives of the government and will be supported by the agency’s “internal culture change and cleansing initiatives” such as the enrollment to the Performance Governance System (PGS).
BOC in 2019 enrolled to the Institute for Solidarity in Asia’s PGS, a holistic and collaborative framework for designing and executing long-term reform roadmaps that cull global best practices in managing strategy to meet the rising needs of public sector institutions.
Guerrero reiterated the commitment of BOC to cleanse its ranks and weed out unscrupulous individuals from the agency. He also expressed optimism that with BOC’s planned modernization, corruption will no longer have a place in the agency.
