BUREAU OF Customs (BoC) Commissioner Isidro S. Lapeña yesterday said recent issues raised against him and the agency, particularly the alleged inaction over a big shipment of illegal drugs, are “coordinated” tactics to undermine changes he has initiated.
“There is no doubt, that these attacks against me and the officers, men and women of the Bureau of Customs, is a well-funded and coordinated attack to undermine the reforms I started,” said Mr. Lapeña in a press conference, citing illegal drug syndicates as among those behind the plot.
The Customs chief addressed the media after Customs Deputy Collector Ma. Lourdes V. Mangoang alleged that he ignored early intelligence reports about the smuggling of illegal drugs to the country from Malaysia, Vietnam, Hong Kong, and China.
Mr. Lapeña countered that he immediately took action on the intercepted 500 kilos of shabu (methamphetamine) concealed in two magnetic lifters at the Manila International Container (MIC) Port last August.
“On the statements that I did nothing with these incidents and trying to do some cover up is but absolutely false and I say were imputed with malice. The PDEA (Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency) and almost everyone in the BoC know that I immediately took action, right from the beginning when the lifters where uncovered in MIC,” he said.
Mr. Lapena claimed that well-funded drug syndicates are behind all the “drama” and are misleading officials, including PDEA Director General Aaron N. Aquino.
“I now realized that both I, and PDEA chief Aquino may have been misled. A script concocted by the same drug syndicates… A stage drama to put the PDEA and BoC on a bitter war, while the enemy regroups. We should not fall to this cloak-and-dagger style of disinformation,” he said.
When asked who are the personalities behind the attacks, Mr. Lapeña said he cannot mention the names for now.
“Not now. Soon you will learn about it.” — Vince Angelo C. Ferreras

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