Duterte wants major BOC revamp

MANILA, Philippines - If President Duterte would have his way, he would implement a major revamp of the Bureau of Customs (BOC), which he said is suffering from a “rotten system.” 

“As I see it, we need to revamp, we need to revitalize, take in new people, then bring the people from the province here,” Duterte told reporters on Monday night.

But Duterte said he would leave it up to incoming Customs Commissioner Isidro Lapeña to decide whether to reshuffle personnel of the BOC. 

“It will depend on his recommendation… It will be up to him,” the President said when asked what was his directive to Lapeña.

“He said he would reorganize, a massive one,” Duterte added.

The President said he expects Lapeña to run after corrupt BOC employees, including those who allowed the entry of a shipment of P6.4 billion worth of shabu into the country.

“Let the guy sit there for a time, and he can improve on the investigation, and in due time, I will ask for the necks of those involved,” Duterte said. 

“We have to prosecute them criminally and remember that is non-bailable. Everyone involved who are from the Customs, they will have to go to jail without bail,” he added.  

Lapeña, chief of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), will replace resigned Customs chief Nicanor Faeldon, who had been criticized over the entry of shabu shipment from China. 

Chief Supt. Aaron Aquino, director of the Police Regional Office in Southern Luzon, was appointed PDEA director general.

The President, however, still believes Faeldon is an honest man.

“Naisahan lang siya eh (He was tricked). You know, what is rotten there is the system, if I may say so. Not necessarily the person,” Duterte said.

Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto said Lapeña should hit the ground running, with a P1.28-billion daily collection goal that is vital to government operations.

Recto said Lapeña’s mission is to rally the 3,031 employees of the second biggest revenue earner to hit their assigned collection target of P468 billion this year. 

He said the President noted in his message that the government lost P165.5 billion every year to smuggling, not counting the P44 billion lost annually to smuggling of fuel.

Sen. Joseph Victor Ejercito described Duterte’s decision to accept Faeldon’s resignation as “prudent.”

“Imagine your centerpiece program is fighting drugs and a huge shipment passed through the BOC, it would be hard to defend him,” Ejercito said.

Anderson resigning, too

Faeldon said his resignation would be beneficial to the BOC.

“I thank everyone who has supported me. I appeal to Customs employees and to the public to support the new commissioner,” he said.

Faeldon’s chief of staff, Mandy Anderson, said she would also resign from her post.

Anderson said it was Faeldon who convinced her to join the bureau last year. 

BOC legal division chief Alvin Ebreo, one of the Magdalo soldiers recruited by Faeldon, said he has yet to decide whether or not to stay with the bureau. 

Other Magdalo soldiers who were given posts at the BOC were retired Army captains Gerardo Gambala, deputy commissioner for Management Information System and Technology Group; Milo Maestrecampo, director of the Import Assessment Service, and former Navy officer James Layug, head of the Special Studies and Project Development Committee.

Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III said yesterday there would be no changes in the thrust of the BOC amid the resignation of Faeldon.

On the appointment of Lapeña, Dominguez said he is confident that the BOC would continue to be on track in performing its goal to achieve its collection target.

Quezon City Rep. Winston Castelo offered an unsolicited advice to Lapeña: remove drawers from tables and prescribe uniforms without pockets so corrupt BOC personnel could hide grease money. – Alexis Romero, Jess Diaz, Paolo Romero, Evelyn Macairan, Mary Grace Padin