Documents show luxury cars were declared as ‘plywood’ and ‘truck parts’
The Bureau of Customs’ fight against corruption within its ranks scored another major victory as Deputy Collector Anicento Sanchez, Jr. and Examiner Solomon Sumpo, both Customs officers at the Port of Zamboanga, were ordered dismissed in an Ombudsman decision approved last 5 November 2014. Found guilty of grave misconduct and serious dishonesty, both willfully defrauded the government of P1.26 million in duties for the illegal importation of two luxury cars in 2006.
In 2006, import entries were issued for one used unit of BMW and one unit of Mercedes Benz collected P61, 205 and P62, 545 in duties, taxes and other charges. These entries were physically checked and signed by Examiner Sumpo. However, records revealed that they represented entries for truck parts and plywood, respectively. Total duties for the BMW should have amounted to P806, 877.74, and P453, 523.12 for the Mercedes Benz.
The Ombudsman found substantial evidence to prove that spurious import entries were utilized by Sanchez and Sumpao in order to secure the registration of the subject luxury vehicles without paying the appropriate taxes and duties to the government. In particular, Sanchez violated Customs Memorandum Order (CMO) No. 17-99 in reviewing and verifying existence and authenticity of imports.
The Ombudsman found this as evidence of willful or negligent failure to perform his obligation and is thus a dereliction of duty. Sanchez, Sumpao, and other officials later cleared without penalty, were all previously placed in preventive suspension last 24 November 2011.
Sanchez and Sumpo were meted the penalty of dismissal from the service with forfeiture of all benefits, except for accrued leave benefits, and with prejudice to reinstatement or reappointment to any public office, including government-owned or controlled corporations.
The dismissals further add to the tallies racked up by the Revenue Integrity Protection Service (RIPS) program of the Department of Finance in eliminating corrupt public officials from all levels of the civil service. As of 25 November 2014, a total of 428 officers have been investigated, 351 of which occurred in the 4 years of this administration. Of RIPS’ 45 successful resolutions of cases, 40 have been from the past 4 years.
