Aquino replaces Customs chief

August 30, 2011
MANILA — President Benigno Aquino III confirmed Monday that the head of the Bureau of Customs (BOC), the government’s second-largest revenue source, will soon be replaced.
Aquino said he is no longer satisfied with the performance of Customs Commissioner Angelito Alvarez, whom he chose to lead the agency in July last year.
“I am not happy anymore with the performance of Alvarez,” the President said in Filipino during a radio interview.
Aquino added that he has already found a replacement but declined to name his nominee.
“What I promised regarding the replacement in Customs is that, I will give a little space to the person I talked to whom I expect to implement reforms in Customs,” he said, hinting that the new Customs chief may come from the private sector.
Reports have indicated that Alvarez’s replacement is former Muntinlupa representative and defeated Liberal Party senatorial candidate Rozzano Rufino “Ruffy” Biazon, who earlier admitted that he was being offered the job.
Alvarez, meanwhile, said he will not resign until the President asks him to do so.
In a Sun.Star phone interview, Alvarez said he is not surprised of the President’s announcement since rumors about his replacement have persisted.
“Almost every day, I heard news about my possible replacement. There are a lot of people who want to serve (the) government. But as I (have) said if the President says that my time is over, I will turn over my position in a very professional manner,” he said.
Alvarez also clarified that he is not disappointed with the President’s decision and that he remains supportive of the efforts of the Aquino administration.
“I serve at the pleasure of the President. I performed my assigned tasked with humility and I will do my job up to the last minute in my office. I have no ill feelings against the President, it is his prerogative,” he said.
Alvarez also said he will welcome Biazon if the latter replaces him.
Under Alvarez’s 14-month stint as BOC Chief, the agency has filed 42 cases as part of its Run After the Smugglers campaign.
Last year, taxes and duties collected by the Customs bureau reached P259 billion, missing its revenue target of P280.7 billion.
Similarly, from January to July this year, the bureau posted lower collections.
The BOC was only able to collect P149.840 billion, 2.04 percent lower than the P152.960 billion collected during the same period last year, data from the Department of Finance website said.
Missing containers
Meanwhile, Alvarez also said that it was his office that uncovered a scam involving 2,000 missing twenty-foot container vans, an issue that his detractors are using against him.
He said the scam was not unprecedented case since it already took place during past administration where more than 3,356 container vans–which most likely carried taxable goods–went missing.
These missing container vans reportedly caused government to lose more than P240 million in revenues in 2011, prompting some quarters to seek Alvarez’s resignation.
Zambales Representative Mitos Magsaysay, a critic of Alvarez, welcomed the news of the Customs chief’s impending ouster.
“Nagpapasalamat ako sa kanya na nakinig at nakita niya yung rason kung bakit natin pinatatanggal si Alvarez (I’m thankful that the reason why we want Alvarez to be relieved was heard and seen),” she told Sun.Star regarding the decision of Aquino.
“Una, talamak ang nakawan at smuggling na hindi na kontrol. Two, may shortfall na P22 billion yung BOC siguro dahil sa mga ganitong gawain. Three, may breakdown sa leadership sa BOC kaya this happened in the first place (First, uncontrolled smuggling is rampant; second, BOC has P22 billion shortfall maybe because of illegal activities; third, there’s a leadership breakdown that’s why these are happening in the first place),” Magsaysay added.
Magsaysay also clarified that she is not an enemy of the Aquino administration and she is just helping the President improve his government “by commenting on issues based on performance and not on personalities.”
“Kung underperforming at daming violations, tangalin na. Ayusin ang sistema by imposing strictly ‘yung targets set monthly para walang slippage ng performance ng ports (Sack officials that are underperforming and with violations. Fix the system by imposing strictly the monthly target set to avoid slippage of performance in ports),” she said. (Sunnex)

Source: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/manila/local-news/2011/08/29/aquino-replaces-customs-chief-176140

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