Senate Deputy Majority Leader JV Ejercito has urged Bureau of Customs (BOC) Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno to intensify efforts to rid the agency of corrupt officials, specifically highlighting concerns within its intelligence arm.
Speaking in a radio interview on Saturday, September 12, Ejercito raised alarms over internal misconduct following a controversial raid in Bulacan involving confiscated illicit cigarettes.
He cautioned that leadership leniency allows unscrupulous subordinates to exploit their positions.
“Sabi ko kanina napakabait ni Commissioner (Nepomuceno). Maraming nagsasamantala sa paligid niya—yung mga direktor at mga DepCom (deputy commissioners), pati mga agencies, yung CIIS,” Ejercito said.
“Balita ko, naku, kahit na cleared na kung ano-ano pang ginagawa. Umayos kayo diyan,” he added.
The senator’s remarks stem from a Philippine National Police-Highway Patrol Group (PNP-HPG) operation last month at a Bulacan warehouse, where authorities seized stocks of contraband cigarettes. The situation worsened after reports surfaced linking two BOC employees to an alleged attempt to resell the confiscated items instead of destroying them.
While a BOC memorandum previously identified the two personnel as the authors of an incident report regarding the Bulacan bust, Nepomuceno stated he was unaware of their identities.
Ejercito, who chairs the Senate Committee on Finance, is set to sponsor the proposed 2027 budget of the BOC under the Department of Finance (DOF).