Faeldon defends hiring of athletes for BOC

MANILA, Philippines - Customs Commissioner Nicanor Faeldon yesterday confirmed previously hiring 28 athletes in his office, but saw nothing wrong with it.

In a press conference in his office, the Customs chief said the popular basketball and volleyball players were hired for a sports program meant to erase the public image of the bureau as one of the most corrupt agencies in government.

The basketball team led by former Philippine Basketball Association stars Marlou Aquino and Kenneth Duremdes joined the UNTV Cup and the volleyball team spearheaded by Ateneo superstar Alyssa Valdez joined the Shakey’s V-League – both carrying the team name “BOC Transformers.”

“The BOC is known as one of the most corrupt government agencies for more than a century. We must change this perception by convincing the public and encouraging our employees to help reform the agency. We need these players to do that,” Faeldon explained.

He said the program intended to “bridge the gap between the Customs agency and the Filipino people and help change the bureau’s public image.”

“We need to bring in effective communicators. By just wearing BOC basketball [uniforms], they will already command attention and people will listen by just saying, ‘We are supporting the reforms in the bureau’,” he stressed.

Several lawmakers questioned the hiring of athletes in the bureau during a hearing on the controversial smuggling of a P6-billion shipment of shabu earlier this week.

But Faeldon said there was nothing irregular about it, pointing out that the athletes were only contractual and were not given plantilla or regular positions.

He stressed that they were hired under contract of services, which was not considered as part of government service since it did not include an employer-employee relationship. 

He said apart from playing for BOC in tournaments, the athletes were also tasked to promote physical fitness among employees.

“We are law enforcers, we need to be physically fit,” the former soldier stressed.

Most of the athletes had an item “technical assistant for special activities” under the office of the commissioner.

All their contracts ended last June 30.

Faeldon further bared that the athletes also performed office work under the supervision of lawyer Roy Lawagan, head of the BOC committee for special activities which organizes various personnel development activities such as fun runs and basketball clinics in the bureau.  

When asked why some athletes were tapped as “counter intelligence analyst,” Faeldon said it was part of strategy.

“They do not know anything about the intelligence. That’s precisely why they are there. Why? Because nobody expects them to be gathering information for the bureau. So they are the most effective intelligence information gatherers. No one expects them to be there,” he claimed.

Faeldon alleged that the athletes serving as intelligence agents of BOC were removed after their identities were disclosed in the House inquiry.