Nicanor Faeldon: Capt. Arnel Baylosis has been accused of receiving multi-million worth of “tara” or grease money

MANILA, Philippines – Bureau of Customs (BOC) Commissioner Nicanor Faeldon yesterday said that Capt. Arnel Baylosis, who heads the Operations Intelligence Office (OIO), Enforcement Group (EG) has been accused of receiving multi-million worth of “tara” or grease money has been relieved from post.

But in an interview, Baylosis denied the allegations made by Faeldon in a press conference in Malacañang last Monday.

Last Monday, Faeldon accused Baylosis of receiving P100 million to P220 million monthly tara since 2012.

“In all my 37 years at the Bureau of Customs, I have never been involved in something like this. My record is clean. I have many accomplishments and recommendations,” said Baylosis.

The accusations that I received millions of tara is not true. In fact, many people are laughing over the allegations that I received a monthly tara of P100 million to P220 million. I don’t know where they got that information,” Baylosis added.

He added that he had gone on leave since Monday after learning about the accusations hurled against him.

He was depressed and almost collapsed while in the office. He also said he was not aware that he had been relieved from his post. He said. In separate interviews two Customs officials, who both requested not to be identified, claimed that the P100 million monthly Tara was exaggerated, and too high.

“For that amount in a month, it would have meant that more or less 15,000 containers were smuggled. Even if the EG operates nationwide and not just to one port district, smuggling that large number of containers would have been glaring and most likely detected,” one of the sources said.

Baylosis recalled that during the first week of July, a few days after Faeldon assumed the top post in the bureau, former deputy commissioner for EG Ariel Nepomuceno reportedly informed the new BOC chief that the EG has an accomplishment report and the details were with Baylosis.

He said he was called to the Commissioner’s Office and brief Faeldon about the accomplishments and recalled that Faeldon was pleased of the report.

He was called back again the following week only to be informed that there were four affidavit filed against him, he said.

He asked the Commissioner why he was singled out when he was the one with an accomplishment.

Faeldon however, said that the allegations against the EG officer has been filed to the DOJ and Baylosis, on his part has already consulted an attorney and he would participate in the investigation led by the DOJ and the NBI.

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