Bernie Anabo Jr.
The walls of the Bureau of Customs (BOC) are shaking once again.
In a stunning move that sent shockwaves across the port community, Customs Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno ordered the immediate relief of Intelligence Officer III Paul Oliver Pacunayen, chief of the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service (CIIS) Field Station at the Port of Manila, amid serious allegations of irregularities and a reported resurgence of smuggling activities.
“I have no choice but to relieve him,” Nepomuceno bluntly told The Manila Times in a Viber message—words that speak volumes about the gravity of the accusations now haunting the country’s premier revenue agency.
Pacunayen’s name did not surface in isolation. According to sources, he was explicitly mentioned in a letter sent to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. by concerned BOC officials, employees, and stakeholders, who were alarmed by what they described as the return of large-scale smuggling operations inside major ports—a nightmare the government has repeatedly vowed to eradicate.
Even more explosive is the inclusion of CIIS Director Thomas Narcise in the same letter. Narcise, a presidential appointee and former member of Task Force Aduana, was also cited in the communication to Malacañang, raising serious questions about accountability at the highest levels of customs intelligence.
When asked about Narcise’s status, Nepomuceno was cautious but telling: the CIIS director, he said, is in a “different situation” due to his appointment by the President. Still, the mere mention of his name in a letter addressed to the Chief Executive has fueled intense speculation within and outside the Bureau.
Behind closed doors, the message is clear: someone is talking—and the allegations are serious enough to trigger action.
On Tuesday, Nepomuceno ordered a full-blown internal investigation into the reported escalation of smuggling, allegedly involving certain CIIS officials. The probe is now in the hands of Deputy Commissioner for Intelligence Romy Rosales, a move insiders say signals that the Commissioner is not treating the matter lightly.
For years, CIIS has been touted as Customs’ frontline defense against smugglers. However, the allegations now hanging over its leadership have cast a dark cloud over the unit responsible for guarding the nation’s gates.
As one Customs insider put it: “If intelligence is compromised, everything collapses.”
The public now waits.
Will this investigation finally expose the names behind the alleged smuggling revival? Or will this become yet another controversy buried under bureaucracy?
One thing is certain: when names reach the President’s desk, this is no longer just rumor—it’s a warning.
And in the Bureau of Customs, the reckoning may have only just begun.
