EDITORIAL - CRACKING DOWN ON SMUGGLING

One presidential adviser is openly pushing for the death penalty for
smugglers, and for good reason. The evils of smuggling items such as
prohibited drugs and guns are clear enough. But even the smuggling of
innocuous items such as rice, sugar and raw materials for
manufacturing can have a devastating effect on the economy. Smugglers
pose unfair competition, especially to Filipino entrepreneurs already
struggling in the treacherous currents of free trade. Smugglers can
price their products so low it skews market forces, creating an
artificial environment that can wreak havoc on an economy, especially
one that's still recovering from a global crunch.

At the vanguard of efforts to crack down on smuggling is the Bureau of
Customs. Over the years, however, the bureau has gained notoriety for
abetting smuggling instead of stopping it, for harboring crooks
instead of catching them.

Today there will be a new man at the Customs help. Bidding goodbye to
Customs personnel the other day, Titus Villanueva put emphasis on the
bureau's computerization program, which aims to minimize graft and
corruption. As Villanueva described it, "mobile-commerce" has reduced
opportunities for graft and hastened the payment of Customs taxes and
duties. His successor, Finance Assistant Secretary Antonio Bernardo,
is expected to continue the modernization program.

Among the biggest abettors of smuggling, however, are public officials
themselves' politicians, military and police officers, people from
all branches of government. The Estrada administration was rocked by
scandal after scandal involving smuggled luxury vehicles, sugar, even
clothing and sardines. Every change of government is accompanied by
speculations on which presidential relative will get involved in
Customs operations.

Bernardo should continue reducing opportunities for graft at the
bureau, facilitating transactions of legitimate businessmen and
upgrading the skills of Customs personnel. But cleaning up the bureau
and cracking down on smuggling will require the national
leadership's full support and political will.