Faeldon to adversaries: Don’t act like you own BoC

By Elijah Joseph C. Tubayan
Reporter

FOLLOWING CALLS for his resignation by members of Congress then a vote of confidence from the President, Customs Commissioner Nicanor E. Faeldon yesterday asked lawmakers to come up with a statute banning any government official, except the chief executive, from recommending the appointment or promotion of an employee at the Bureau of Customs (BoC).

Mr. Faeldon said there are a handful of politicians asking him to influence the BoC’s promotion board in order to place their people in desired posts to protect their interests in the importing business.

“First is the procurement process of our personnel is a big problem. We allow politicians, government officials to send their people here. Believe me, most of them have importation companies, so people here are to protect the interest of our bosses. So if we don’t fix that, corruption here will continue,” the Customs chief told reporters in a media conference yesterday at the BoC headquarters.

“So we have to first address our issue of the procurement of our personnel. Legislators can come up with a legislation prohibiting any government official that have supervision of power out of this agency to make recommendations,” he added.

The former military man, visibly in a resolute mood, said: ”Stop it. This is the Filipino people’s BoC, so don’t act like you own this,” addressing his adversaries.

Both the Senate and the House of Representatives have an ongoing inquiry on the P6.4-billion shipment of illegal methamphetamine, locally known as shabu, that passed through customs via the “green lane,” which is supposed to be utilized only by firms with reputable backgrounds.

House members called for Mr. Faeldon’s resignation over what they called his “grossly incompetence” in handling the drug smuggling. However, President Rodrigo R. Duterte met with Mr. Faeldon on Tuesday and directed him to stay in his post and “continue serving the country.”

Mr. Duterte, speaking at a news conference yesterday late afternoon, reiterated that he believes in the “integrity” of Mr. Faeldon, but will be reviewing the final report from Congress and “will be fair” in deciding the Customs chief’s fate.

Nonetheless, Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III said the Department of Finance (DoF), to which the BoC is attached, will also investigate the irregularities of the drug shipment under Mr. Faeldon’s watch.

“Of course,” said Mr. Dominguez when asked if the DoF will conduct its own investigation on top of the Congressional inquiry. “It is better to do this in sequence, so we are going to start.”

TRAINING TO BE ‘INCORRUPTIBLE’
Moreover, Mr. Faeldon added that the BoC has never had a training institute for its employees even after over a century of existence, which has been the cause of mass corruption in the agency.

“This bureau has never had a training institution. Some customs in the world have to pass a four-year training in their county.”

“In this academy training, majority of their time will be spent to grind them, to make them incorruptible. So when employees complete the training, they are incorruptible,” he said.

“We don’t have training here. When you come in, there’s only a one-hour orientation. That’s really what’s making the bureau more corrupt. Why can’t we see that?” added Mr. Faeldon.

The appointed BoC head said they are already addressing some of these shortfalls, and has even called for the World Customs Organization to come to the country and study the BoC’s system.

He said that their first training program will start this October, as they are recruiting some 3,000 employees.

Recently, the DoF said that it will establish a tax academy for the Bureau of Internal Revenue, and aims to integrate it with the BoC’s training program.

Moreover, the BoC will also be ramping up its x-ray machines at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport to 19 machines from only one at present.

The BoC’s collections in end-June grew 10% to P210.3 billion from P190.6 billion year on year, representing 97%of its P217.7 billion target for the period.

NAME NAMES
Meanwhile, lawmakers continued to demand the resignation of Mr. Faeldon despite Mr. Duterte’s support to his appointee.

Several lawmakers also dared him to name the officials, including their colleagues, allegedly seeking favors from the BoC, including promotions for favored agency personnel.

“I dare him, name them,” Minority Leader Danilo E. Suarez said at a news conference. “Kung sino man iyon eh tungkulin ng House na idisiplina ang congressman na iyon (Whoever he was, it is the duty of the House to discipline that congressman).”

Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Alfredo A. Garbin, Jr. also told Mr. Faeldon to “name the influence-peddlers,” adding that the allegations should not divert attention from the smuggling of drugs under the noses of Customs officials

WATCH LIST
Meanwhile, the Department of Justice (DoJ) has placed the seven personalities tagged in the shabu shipment controversy under the immigration watch list.

In a three-page Urgent Memorandum from the secretary, the DoJ issued an Immigration Lookout Bulletin Order (ILBO) against the following: Richard Tan/Richard Chen/Chen Yu Long/Ken Joo Lung, Kenneth Dong/Dong Yi Shen Xi; Fidel Lee, Jhu Ming Jyun, Chen Min, Mark Ruben Taguba, and Larribert Hilario.

Justice Secretary Vitaliano N. Aguirre II said the order was issued upon the request of Senator Richard J. Gordon, head of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee that is conducting the probe. — with reports from interaksyon.com and Kristine Joy V. Patag