EDITORIAL - Abolition

Some quarters dismiss the statement as hyperbole, but incoming president Rodrigo Duterte’s comment about abolishing what he described as the three most corrupt government agencies was an accurate expression of his frustration over the Bureau of Customs, Bureau of Internal Revenue and Land Transportation Office.

President Aquino, with his avowed commitment to daang matuwid or the straight path, did what he could to clean up the BOC and BIR. Revenue Commissioner Kim Henares has been widely commended for her performance – and feared by tax evaders. Her successor must continue her relentless campaign as corruption persists in the bureau.

The housecleaning efforts at the BOC, meanwhile, have had mixed results. Two of the President’s former Customs chiefs have lamented that BOC personnel keep finding ways to undermine reform efforts, while influence peddlers from many sectors ensure that corrupt practices are perpetuated.

Short of abolishing the BOC, Duterte can order a review of its functions as tariffs fall to zero and the world moves toward free trade regimes. In several countries, Customs personnel now look out mainly for contraband such as prohibited drugs, goods that are hazardous to public health, guns and weapons of mass destruction.

The Philippines is part of the recently created ASEAN Economic Community, and economic integration includes the lowering or lifting of tariffs on a wide range of goods. This requires adjustments in the functions of the BOC.

As for the LTO, it is one of the agencies whose performance has actually deteriorated since it gained ISO certification during the Arroyo administration. Persistent red tape plus the failure of the LTO to release vehicle license plates and driver’s license cards are believed to be among the public frustrations that propelled Duterte to a landslide victory in the presidential race.

The incoming chief executive may not actually abolish the three agencies. But he can initiate a thorough purge and a drastic overhaul of their functions, with loopholes providing opportunities for corruption plugged. The agencies may not be shuttered, but old ways of doing business can be abolished.