BOC is Not Corrupt – Almadin

Newly appointed Port of Cebu District Collector B/Gen. Roberto T. Almadin expressed his expectation to his position during his press conference on Thursday at Casino Espanol de Cebu.

Almadin said he wants to make the Bureau of Customs (BOC) Port of Cebu not only as revenue generator but also as job generator. He also said he is sincere to the position given to him.

The new Cebu customs chief explained that the greater part of the problem of the bureau lies not with the content of the BOC but instead those filling the entry.

“Sabi nila ‘corrupt’ daw ang BOC. Hindi totoo yun! Hindi sila corrupt. They become the victims of corruption (They said BOC is corrupt. That is not true! They are not corrupt. They become the victims of corruption)” Almadin said.

Almadin was not surprised at all about the difficulties of his duty and responsibility as an appointed district collector in Cebu. He said he already knows the environment he will be going to face since he was told of everything about customs before he came to Cebu.

“I was told before I came here… Mao ni ang kina-iya sa Custom (This is the attitude in Custom) and I know that…There would be a hardship in a process just like in military…Medyo mahirap pero as a soldier, we like mahirap kaya lang minsan may masasaktan dahil may mga interest.. (It is quiet tough but as a soldier we like difficulties though sometimes there are people who might get hurt because of the interests)” he said.
The Customs chief described his position as tougher than a gymnast swinging on a high-thin wire. He said that he is tied between his love for the people and love for his duty. However, he added that there should be no shortcuts in the proceedings since he is just following the rules.

Almadin encourages importers to secure permits and follow BOC procedures to avoid complication and inconvenience.