MANILA — The Bureau of Customs apologized Monday to actress Bela Padilla after the latter complained about being charged hefty import duties for a shipment worth P11,000.
Customs Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno said he was able to talk to Padilla through her manager to apologize and explain what happened with her import duties.
“Nagpapaumanhin ako kay Ms. Bela at sa lahat ng ating kababayan na nagkaroon ng ganyang hindi magandang karanasan po sa BOC, ‘yung mga nag i-import po kasi na gumagamit ng e-commerce malamang hindi lang si Ms Bela po ‘yan. Sa ating mga kakabayan, of course, pasensiya na po. Sisikapin po natin, 5 linggo pa lang ako dito sa trabaho at andami po nating kukumpunihin talaga,” he said in a DZMM interview.
In her complaint posted on social media, Padilla said she was being charged P4,600 in taxes for a shipment worth P11,000 even though the BOC’s own online calculator said she should only be charged P1,650. "Surely, we shouldn't pay almost half of the value of our item in taxes, no?" she said.
Nepomuceno, however, said the BOC’s own online calculator is inaccurate, which causes confusion and doubt.
In a separate interview, Atty. Chris Bendijo, Deputy Chief of Staff at the Office of the Commissioner, explained that every shipment coming into the Philippines is subject to two main charges: customs duties and value-added tax (VAT).
“Tuwing tayo ay mag-iimport ng isang bagay, meron itong customs duty. Ito ‘yung amount of duties na due sa ating Bureau of Customs. At meron din itong VAT component na due naman sa BIR,” Bendijo said.
To arrive at the customs duty, Bendijo said the BOC looks at several factors.
“Kasama diyan ‘yung tinatawag nating value, whether free onboard or free carrier. Kung foreign currency siya, we will have to compute it using the current foreign exchange. We also factor in the dutiable insurance at ‘yung dutiable rate to arrive at the dutiable value,” he said.
This dutiable value is then converted into pesos and subjected to the appropriate duty rate. The rate depends on the Harmonized System (HS) Code, an international classification of products.
"That ranges from 3 percent to 30 percent, pero usually for consumer goods, nasa 5 to 15 percent lang yung kaniyang rate of duty," Bendijo said.
Once the duty rate is computed, VAT and other applicable charges, such as excise taxes for products like alcohol or tobacco, are added on top.
Bendijo clarified that the importer or the recipient of the goods is the one responsible for settling the duties and taxes before a shipment can be released.
“The moment you import something, ang obligation pwede sa importer, pwede sa owner, depende sino ang nagpo-proseso ng inyong mga goods, sila ang may responsibility to settle," he said.
The BOC official also addressed complaints that the agency’s online calculator sometimes shows a much lower estimate compared to the actual bill.
“May six entries sa BOC calculator natin na tayo ang mag-iinput and so sometimes, papasok diyan hindi updated 'yung ating forex, that's one. Sometimes, hindi natin na-iinput 'yung dutiable insurance o 'yung dutiable rate which affects the computation of dutiable value. So that's one aspect bakit may discrepancy,” Bendijo said.
He added that there are also components not reflected in the calculator. Other fees, such as processing charges from private couriers, are not included in the BOC tool but may appear in the final bill.
In a statement, he said he ordered the temporary removal of the Online Duty and Tax Calculator from the BOC website to allow for system improvements and to make the tool clearer, more reliable, and more responsive to public needs.
He said while the current calculator provides estimates, it does not yet reflect all lawful charges required by law, which may cause confusion when compared with the final assessment.
“To avoid similar situations in the future, I directed that the calculator be taken down until enhancements are completed. The upgraded system will provide a more comprehensive breakdown, ensuring that all applicable charges are properly reflected,” he said.
In the interview, Nepomuceno said some of the items that should be included in the calculator are cost of freight and documentary stamps.
“May mga kulang na items na dapat idagdag pala…’Yung calculator hindi consistent. Pinapa take-down na natin ngayon,” he said.
He added: “May ibang items na hindi kasama sa calculator. Magagalit naman talaga kahit hindi si Ms. Bela. Magdududa talaga. Mali naman ‘yung computation kaya pagdududahan. ‘Yung calculator may kulang.”
Nepomuceno said he already explained the correct computation to Padilla. “‘Yung mismong billing na P4,600, naunawaan niya na po. Walang pandaraya po ‘yun,” he said.
One error in Padilla’s billing is that it considered the freight cost when the shipment from Korea was free.
“Entitled pala siya sa libreng pagpapadala. Hindi po alam ng BOC ‘yun. Hindi niya kasalanan ‘yun. We and DHL must have better connectivity to reflect the correct computation and billing,” he said.
Nepomuceno said he is striving to improve the systems in the BOC. “Marami po kami na natatanggap na complaint,” he said.
Customs insists no overcharging
The BOC maintained that there is no overcharging, and that all rates are fixed and reflected in official receipts.
“Medyo mahirap mag-allege na overcharging because all the rates are consistent. Mayroon tayong sinusunod na HS code. This ensures na 'yung produkto from the source of origin, from the country or origin is classified similarly dun sa point of destination," he said.
"Pangalawa, lahat naman is covered by a receipt noh? So it's difficult for us to overcharge because the rates are fixed. The amount of VAT is also fixed, there are instances that it will be subjected to excise tax," he added.
He also assured the public that no charges go directly to BOC personnel.
“Pwede naman nilang i-contest 'yung mga ganitong computations, but we will gladly explain 'yung mga basis nitong rates bakit naging ganun 'yung figures and we assure the public that for purposes ng ganitong mga computation," he said.
"All amount should be reflected in invoices or receipts that will be issued, so definitely nothing will go to the pockets of BOC personnel,” he added.
Meanwhile, Padilla said the BOC has already reached out to her to explain how the final tax rate was computed.
"I love that I had a very good conversation with the Commissioner Nepomuceno yesterday. He explained everything so thoroughly," she said.
"I appreciate the effort and also that he's taking everything seriously whether it's a small case or a big case because obviously we're not talking about big amounts of money but I think more than that, what about the people who do not have the means to pay right away for this kind of charges?," she added.
Padilla also said that the private courier handling her shipment has also coordinated with her and assured that it will conduct its own investigation to improve customer service.
"I've had things shipped even when I was living in London and in other places, this is the only country I've seen na ganito kataas 'yung charge because it's almost half out of my package. I just wanted to see where the money was going," she said.
The BOC also clarified that it has reached out not only to Padilla but also to other consumers who raised similar concerns to explain the charges.
Bendijo said the agency is preparing a public awareness campaign to guide consumers on how duties and taxes are computed and how to properly use the online calculator once it is restored.