Customs Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero has placed several Bureau of Customs (BOC) units under the direct supervision of the deputy commissioner for Intelligence Group (IG).
The administration, operation, and production division of the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service (CIIS) is now directly supervised by the IG deputy commissioner, according to Customs Memorandum Order (CMO) No. 24-2018 signed by Guerrero on November 27.
The IG deputy commissioner also now has direct control and supervision over the Risk Management Office (RMO), Account Management Office (AMO), and X-ray Inspection Project (XIP).
Currently, IG is headed by retired brigadier general Raniel Ramiro in an acting capacity.
Further, the CIIS and Enforcement Security Service (ESS) personnel assigned or deployed at various ports/districts, while organizationally under the CIIS/ESS, “are placed under the operational control of the various districts.” CMO 24-2018 says this is pursuant to Section 207 of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA), which provides that all ports of entry shall be under the direct supervision and control of a customs district.
Among the mandates of CIIS, a unit under IG, are to collect, collate, and evaluate data and information on acts of economic sabotage, and to conduct surveillance, investigation, and apprehension of cases involving violations of customs tariff, laws, and regulations.
AMO, meanwhile, is the office in BOC tasked to process the accreditation of importers and registration of customs brokers. Previously, AMO was supervised by the CIIS.
XIP, the office overseeing BOC’s x-ray operations, was previously directly under the Office of the Commissioner when it was moved in 2017 from the Enforcement Group.
