The Civil Service Commission's National Capital Region (CSC NCR) office has ordered the suspension of a Bureau of Customs (BoC) employee for three months and one day for failing to file his statement of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN) for 2005, the Department of Finance (DoF) said.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the DoF said the ruling stemmed from an administrative complaint filed by its Revenue Integrity Protection Service (RIPS), the department's anti-corruption arm tasked with preventing, detecting and investigating corrupt practices in revenue collection.

The CSC NCR found the employee administratively liable for violating Section 8 of Republic Act No. 6713, or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees. Enacted in 1989, the law requires public officials and employees to file SALNs upon assumption of office, on or before April 30 of every year thereafter, and upon separation from government service. The annual filings serve as the government's reference records for verifying that an official's wealth is consistent with lawful income — the standard behind the lifestyle checks and fact-finding investigations the DoF said RIPS conducts.

“Failure to file a SALN cannot be taken lightly. This requirement exists to safeguard against corruption and the unlawful acquisition of wealth,” Finance Undersecretary Rolando T. Ligon, Jr. said.

“DoF-RIPS will remain steadfast in pursuing administrative cases that help protect the integrity of government and uphold public trust,” he added.

According to the DoF, the CSC NCR gave weight to official certifications and documentary evidence from the BoC, the CSC and the Office of the Ombudsman showing that the employee's 2005 SALN was not on record with any of the agencies. The case shows that a SALN omission dating back to 2005 can still serve as the basis for a disciplinary ruling.

“The office conducts lifestyle checks and fact-finding investigations to ensure officials and employees do not acquire wealth beyond what their lawful income can justify,” the DoF said.

The BoC, which collects duties and taxes on goods entering the country, operates under the Department of Finance. Its placement under the DoF puts customs personnel within the coverage of RIPS's revenue-collection mandate — the remit under which this complaint was brought.

— Justine Irish D. Tabile, BusinessWorld