MANILA, (PNA) — Customs Commissioner Ruffy Biazon reported Saturday they lack 6,000 personnel — majority of them in ports nationwide.
“If we could fill all the unfilled positions which is (sic) about 6,000,” said Customs Commissioner Ruffy Biazon.
He cited the case in one of the major ports, Ninoy Aquino International Airport, where there is a shortage of personnel.
“Madami yan sa mga ports. Sa NAIA alone kulang na kulang ang tao natin kaya na pwersa ang tao natin mag overtime kahit na nagkaroon ng policy on shifting since kulang ang tao nag overtime pa din personnel,” Biazon added.
With this, he would ask the help of newly appointed Deputy Commissioner for Internal Administration Myrna Chua to work out an inclusion on budget for the hiring of new personnel since she was a former director of the Department of Budget and Management.
If they will be allowed to hire new personnel, Biazon added these people will be deployed in all airports with severe lack of personnel, in enforcement and intelligence since they need agents in the field that would translate to more intelligence gathering.
“Of course security in the ports and enforcement of the law would require more warm bodies in the BOC police. Madami gaps ma pupunuan kung makapag hire ng sufficient no of personnel,” he added
However, despite the lack of workers, Biazon said they still manage to perform their duties.
“But as far as port operations is (sic) concerned we are managing now but that should not be the case,” he added.