Customs Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno said the bureau is now ahead by P11 billion of its target collection for the year 2026.

“We have already collected P491.74 billion, over P11.7 billion above our target. This means, iyong inaasahan na koleksiyon nahigitan natin iyon kaya’t nagpapasalamat ako sa ating mga tauhan sa Bureau of Customs,” he said in an interview during the Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon, a television program of the Presidential Communications Office on Friday.

Nepomuceno said he is confident that he will surpass their target collection for this year.

As the Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC) adjusts the country's growth and fiscal targets, the BoC is now tasked to collect P1.011 trillion from the previous P1.003 trillion.

“P11.47 billion surpluses will mean a lot. That will translate para sa programa ng mga pagtatayo ng eskuwelahan, pambili ng gamot, uniporme and all those support that the government can do for the communities – malaking bagay iyon,” the Customs chief said.

Indicting the smugglers

Nepomuceno admitted that even if they have already intensified operations against smugglers, indicting smuggling masterminds remains a challenge for them.

“Ang malaking hamon ay kung papaano ba talaga mapapanagot hanggang doon sa mga totoong may-ari ng puhunan, sino ang mga nasa likod, sino ang mga financiers, operators at protectors, sino ang mga tumutulong sa kanila – kailangan iyan ang mahuli natin. Hanggang hindi natin nahuhuli iyon, tuluy-tuloy lang ito,” he said.

To date, he said more than P40 billion worth of smuggled items have been seized by the BOC throughout the country since he started as BOC chief in July 2025.

“More than 1,090 successful operations na ang nagawa naming, yielding P40 billion plus worth of smuggle goods,” he added.

As a solution to attain the certainty of conviction, Nepomuceno said the BOC, the

National Prosecution Service, consisting of fiscals of the Department of Justice, the Department of Finance and the National Bureau of Investigation, should work together to pin those masterminds with appropriate charges.

“Kapag nagpirmahan iyan magiging institutionalized na ang pagtutulungan ng tatlong ahensiya upang sa case build-up pa lang, investigation hanggang filing of case/prosecution, mas malaki ang tsansa nating manalo na sa kaso at therefore mahagip natin iyong mga talagang nasa likod, hindi lang iyong mga helpers, drivers, para matigil talaga ito,” he said.

Also, on Friday, the BoC-Ninoy Aquino International Airport (BOC-NAIA) intercepted an inbound parcel on 8 July at an international cargo facility within the NAIA Complex, discovering over 2,000 grams of suspected methamphetamine hydrochloride, or shabu, with an estimated standard value of P14 million.

The shipment, declared as “Plastics and Ropes,” was flagged based on derogatory information received from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).

During the 100 percent physical examination, authorities uncovered 2,102 grams of suspected shabu, with an estimated standard value of P14,293,600, concealed inside multiple spools of rope.

The operation was carried out through the coordinated efforts of PDEA, NAIA Inter-Agency Drug Interdiction Task Group, BOC – Customs Anti-Illegal Drugs Task Force, the Philippine National Police Aviation Security Group, the Airport Police Department, the Philippine National Police Drug Enforcement Group, the National Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Immigration.

The seized suspected shabu was turned over to the PDEA for laboratory examination and further investigation, while follow-up operations remain ongoing.