BOC official sacked for alleged payoffs

MANILA, Philippines – Bureau of Customs (BOC) Commissioner Nicanor Faeldon yesterday said that Capt. Arnel Baylosis, who has been accused of receiving multi-million worth of “tara” or grease money has been relieved.

“He has been relieved,” said Faeldon when asked about Baylosis, who heads the Operations Intelligence Office of the Enforcement Group (EG).

Last Monday, Faeldon accused Baylosis of receiving P100 million to P220 million monthly tara since 2012.

But in an interview with The STAR, Baylosis denied the allegations made by Faeldon in a press conference in Malacañang last Monday.

“In all my 37 years at the Bureau of Customs, I have never been involved in something like this. My record is clean. I have many accomplishments and recommendations,” said Baylosis.

He added that he had gone on leave since Monday after learning about the accusations hurled against him because he felt depressed and almost collapsed while in the office. He also said he was not aware that he had been relieved from his post. 

“The accusations that I received millions of tara is not true. In fact, many people are laughing over the allegations that I received a monthly tara of P100 million to P220 million. I don’t know where they got that tara (information),” Baylosis added.

In separate interviews two Customs officials, who both requested anonymity, both claimed that the P100 million monthly tara was too high, almost exaggerated.

“For that amount in a month, it would have meant that more or less 15,000 containers were smuggled. Even if the EG operates nationwide and not just to one port district, smuggling that large number of containers would have been glaring and most likely detected,” one of the sources said.

The source added that it was difficult to conduct large-scale smuggling since 2013 because BOC Deputy Commissioner for Intelligence Group (IG) Jessie Dellosa already joined the agency and was closely monitoring the movement at the ports.

A few days after Faeldon assumed the post at the bureau, he was informed that the EG has an accomplishment and the details were with Baylosis.

Baylosis was called to the Commissioner’s Office and he briefed Faeldon about the 88 container vans of garlic and onion that were placed on alert by the EG when the shipment arrived at the Manila International Container Port. 

He recalled that Faeldon was pleased hearing about the report and he was called back to the Office of the Commissioner the following week. “I thought that I would be praised for our accomplishment but the Commissioner informed me that there were four affidavits against me. But he never revealed their names or companies to me from that time up to now.”

He asked Faeldon why was he being singled out when he was the one with an accomplishment. 

Faeldon earlier said that he had already submitted the case folder on the allegations against the EG officer to the Department of Justice (DOJ).

Baylosis, on his part, has already consulted a lawyer and assured that he would participate in the investigation that would be conducted by the DOJ and the National Bureau of Investigation.