Arroyo admin left rotting goods in Customs stockrooms – official

Thousands of cans of rotting goods kept in different warehousing facilities of the Bureau of Customs (BOC) are backlog from the Arroyo administration, a ranking official of the agency said Thursday. “This is the product of inefficiency, which conveniently fused with corruption," Deputy Commissioner for Intelligence Danilo Lim said. “These are the things the new leadership of Commissioner Biazon is trying to rectify," Lim also said. “I hope the public will be more patient as we try to correct the errors of the past and realize meaningful reforms inside the bureau." The BOC warehouse in Manila keeps at least 24,000 cans of rotting luncheon meat, GMA News’ “24 Oras" newscast reported Wednesday.
The BOC is taking an inventory of all seized goods currently stockpiled, Lim added. “If there are perishable goods, then they must be immediately assessed if they can still be of use to the public. If they are not fit for human consumption or a threat to public safety, then they must be immediately destroyed," Lim said. "If they are used clothes, which were originally intentioned as donations to charitable institutions but ended up as ukay-ukay, together with the Department of Social Welfare and Development, we will study the possibility of restoring them to their original intent — for charity and relief," Lim explained. — PE/ELR, GMA News