MANILA - Customs Commissioner Nicanor Faeldon on Wednesday appealed for information on the P270-million daily payoffs that the agency's officials allegedly receive.

"Bago pa ako pumasok sa Customs, naririnig ko na iyan. I appeal to our importers na magsumbong, pangalanan natin kung sino itong mga tumatanggap," Faeldon said in a phone interview with DZMM.

"Hanggang ngayon, wala pang importer na nagsumbong kung sino ang binibigyan nila. Ang parati nilang katwiran, takot sila baka resbakan sila."

(I have heard of the alleged payoffs even before I took charge of Customs. I appeal to our importers to file complaints and name the officials who receive these bribes. No importer has done this because they are afraid of possible retaliation.)

Citing information from customs brokers, Senator Panfilo Lacson claimed Tuesday that BOC personnel get an average of P27,000 to P30,000 per container they inspect.

The payoffs, Lacson said, amounted to P270 million a day because about 10,000 containers go through the BOC daily.

The senator added that BOC personnel allegedly distribute the payoffs among themselves in a gathering known as the "3 o'clock Friday habit."

Lacson issued the accusation amid ongoing legislative inquiries into the BOC's failure to prevent the entry of P6.4 billion worth of shabu smuggled from China.

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The drug shipment, which was eventually found in a Valenzuela City warehouse, had passed through the BOC without inspection.

Despite the controversy, Faeldon continues to enjoy the "full confidence" of President Rodrigo Duterte, Finance Secretary Sonny Dominguez said Tuesday.

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Faeldon also brushed off the appeal of several lawmakers for his resignation over alleged gross incompetence.

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