Ombudsman Remulla flags lack of data sharing with Customs in anti-smuggling campaign

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Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla on Saturday said the lack of data sharing with the Bureau of Customs (BOC) has hampered efforts to build strong anti-smuggling cases.

In his radio program, Remulla said the BOC has failed to provide complete documentation needed to file or investigate cases.

“Nagkaroon kami ng meeting ng Customs tsaka DOJ para tumigil na ang kalokohang ito sa smuggling. Ang problema mo lagi 'yung sa Customs, ayaw nila kumpletuhin ‘yung documentation para ma-dismiss ang kaso. Ifa-file namin 'yung kaso, o kaya imbestigahan namin. Sabay kapag hinihingi na namin 'yung dokumento ayaw dumating ng ibang dokumento,” Remulla said.

(We had a meeting with Customs and the DOJ to stop this smuggling nonsense. The problem is always with Customs—they do not want to complete the documentation, so the case will be dismissed. We will file the case, or we will investigate it. But when we ask for the documents, some of them do not arrive.)

“Walang data sharing. At least ang DBM [Department of Budget and Management] pumayag na sa data sharing. Ngayon Customs ang icha-challenge namin,” he added.

(There is no data sharing. At least the DBM has agreed to data sharing. Now we will challenge Customs.)

Earlier, the Department of Justice (DOJ), National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), and BOC signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) aimed at combating economic sabotage.

Justice Secretary Fredderick Vida, BOC Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno, and NBI Director Melvin Matibag signed the agreement, with Remulla serving as a witness.

“Under this agreement, we commit to the timely exchange of information so that what one agency discovers, the others can act on,” Vida said in his speech.

According to Vida, the agencies will form a joint task force and technical working group within 30 days. — Jamil Santos/VBL, GMA News