Thursday, July 31, 2008 Customs cashier incurs shortfall, audited, relieved
THE cashier of the Bureau of Customs-Philippine Export Zone Authority Clearing Office (CPCO) who is believed to have embezzled millions of pesos in revenue collections was relieved from her post.
District Collector Ricardo Belmonte of the Bureau of Customs (BOC) Port of Cebu said that he referred cashier Sunshine Autentico Salendra to the BOC’s Intelligence, Investigation and Prosecution Division (IIPD) for investigation to find out how much was lost and the violations she committed.
Belmonte said he immediately relieved Salendra after learning from Collector Ernesto Urbano of the Sub-Port of Mactan that there was a shortfall in her collections.
Findings
CPCO is under the supervision of the Sub-Port of Mactan, while the Sub-Port of Mactan is under the control of the Port of Cebu.
Urbano said that based on his initial findings, Salendra had a shortfall of P771,000 for May 2008 alone.
He said the amount may run to millions of pesos if Salendra had a shortfall every month since last year.
“The Commission on Audit is examining the records of collections. My own findings that P771,000 was lost was for May 2008 alone. I don’t know if there were more collections lost,” Urbano said.
Her colleagues said Salendra who is an ordinary clerk with a meager salary has two luxury cars, a Ford Escape and a Hyundai Sta. Fe, which she can hardly afford based on her present income.
She also used to work with Jason Alcantara, the CPCO acting chief when he was shot and killed by assassins near his residence in Lapu-Lapu City.
Accreditation
Salendra was replaced by Neil Camalongay right after she was relieved by Belmonte.
Salendra’s immediate superior when the loss of public funds reportedly started last year was lawyer Rey Bergado who is was transferred to the accreditation section of the BOC in Manila.
BOC sources said that Bergado may also be held liable for the missing collections because he failed to implement the rules and regulations that the collections for the day must be deposited to the Land Bank of the Philippines the next day.
Salendra has a cousin who is also connected with BOC but is also now under investigation for illegally issuing a clearance for the release of mv Philippine Dream last month.
The mv Philippine Dream has P12 million unpaid duties and taxes for BOC. (EOB)
