Ombudsman and former Justice Secretary Crispin “Boying” Remulla has vowed to take firm action against corruption in two of the government’s most vital revenue-generating agencies — the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) and the Bureau of Customs (BOC) — calling them long overdue for reform.
Speaking during his keynote address at the 2025 Ease of Doing Business (EODB) Convention organized by the Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA), Remulla said that restoring integrity in these agencies is crucial to improving public trust and ensuring that government revenues truly serve the people.
“The bigger problems come with the revenue stream of government,” Remulla said. “The Bureau of Internal Revenue and the Bureau of Customs will have to have good governance.”
Remulla’s statement drew strong attention from participants, as the Ombudsman underscored that good governance must begin “where the money flows.” His address reflected a renewed push to strengthen accountability, transparency, and enforcement within agencies handling trillions of pesos in public funds.
As the Philippines continues to enhance its investment climate and streamline government services, Remulla emphasized that fighting corruption and ensuring ethical conduct among revenue officials are indispensable to national competitiveness.
After his speech, Remulla and ARTA Secretary Ernesto Perez signed an MOU between the two organizations towards efficient governance for a competitive-ready Philippines. The three-day event gathered over 800 participants from government, private sector, academe, international organizations, and the diplomatic corps.
The convention featured plenary sessions, fireside chats, and recognition ceremonies focused on three key themes:
Day 1: Leveraging Efficiency – highlighting reforms and process reengineering for a more investment-friendly environment. Day 2: Leveraging Accountability – emphasizing transparency, oversight, and compliance in governance. Day 3: Leveraging Digitalization – showcasing digital transformation and new public-private collaborations to make services faster and smarter.
The final day will also feature the signing of new memoranda of agreement between key agencies and partners, and the recognition of outstanding ARTA Champions and Ease of Doing Business Partners for their exemplary commitment to innovation and service excellence.
With the unifying call for “Smarter Initiatives. Better Philippines.”, the convention reaffirmed the nation’s goal to build a competitiveness-ready and future-ready Philippines through efficiency, accountability, and digital governance.
“The BIR and the Customs are actually the two most hackneyed departments — meaning everybody knows they’re corrupt, but no one’s done anything about it. We will do something about it.”
About the 2025 Ease of Doing Business Convention
The 2025 EODB Convention, themed “LEAD with EODB: Leveraging Efficiency, Accountability, and Digitalization for Ease of Doing Business,” is being held from November 4 to 6, 2025, at the Manila Hotel.
