The Way It Is

I was interviewed at ANC Mornings on ABS-CBN News Channel (ANC) last April 10, 2013 regarding issues raised in a newspaper article about smuggling.

The recent public discussion on the issue of petroleum smuggling has drawn comments from various sectors. I welcome such discussions because it provides the opportunity for the exchange of ideas on the issue of smuggling and customs administration.

The problem of smuggling is not one that just cropped up during my tenure as Customs Commissioner in the past 18 months nor the Benigno Aquino administration from 2010 to present.

It is a problem that hounds every Customs administration not just in the Philippines but around the world. Even the most technologically advanced Customs administrations face the same problem, the only difference is the magnitude of the problem and the dynamics of the system prevailing in each country. But sometimes, it is also a matter of perception by sectors concerned.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

At the outset, allow me express my appreciation to the Makati Business Club for inviting me to speak before this prestigious organization and share with you my plans and programs for the BOC in achieving reform as well as my thoughts about and experiences in this controversial agency.

Perhaps most, if not all of you, only get to hear from the Commissioner of Customs through news articles in print and broadcast which are actually just snippets of soundbytes allowed by editors to read, heard or watched by the public.

So this is a precious opportunity for me to speak directly to those who matter not only the business community but the entire society as well. I hope that with the time we have to interact today, I will be able to give you a better insight into what one of the more colorful officers in the BOC described as “the