MANILA, Philippines — Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla warned that delays by the Bureau of Customs (BOC) in providing documents requested by investigators could undermine efforts to build and prosecute smuggling cases.
Remulla said investigators sometimes proceed with filing or investigating cases but are unable to secure documents from Customs needed to support the complaints.
“We will file the case or investigate it, but when we ask for the documents, the documents do not arrive. There is no data sharing,” Remulla said in a radio interview over the weekend.
He said the issue had been raised during a meeting with Customs and the Department of Justice (DOJ), warning that incomplete documentation could result in cases being dismissed.
“The problem with Customs is that they do not want to complete the documentation, which could cause the case to be dismissed,” Remulla said.
Remulla said the Office of the Ombudsman had already secured a data-sharing arrangement with the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), leaving Customs as the next agency he intended to press over access to government records.
“At least the DBM agreed to data sharing. Now, Customs is what we will challenge,” he said.
His remarks came shortly after the DOJ, BOC and National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) signed an agreement aimed at strengthening the government's campaign against economic sabotage in the agriculture sector, including mechanisms for the timely exchange of information among the agencies.
