(Eagle News) – Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said that the action of President Rodrigo Duterte to put the Bureau of Customs “under the watchful eye” of the military was just “temporary,” and that civilian rule in the controversial agency should still be supreme at all times.
In a message to reporters, Guevarra said that the “President, as Chief Executive, has the power of supervision and control over the entire Executive Dept, and is duty-bound to ensure that all laws be faithfully executed (Art. VII, sec 17).”
He said that under the current circumstances where tons of illegal drugs, particularly shabu, had been able to go past the customs bureau even after the replacement of its commissioners, it had become apparent to the President that the problem lies not just on the leadership but in the entire BOC bureaucracy itself.
“Putting the Bureau of Customs under the watchful eye of the AFP is a temporary measure to ensure that massive entry of illegal drugs, which threatens public safety, is immediately stopped. The bureau is headed by retired General Rey Guerrero, who is now a civilian,” Guevarra said.
“However, civilian rule shall at all times be supreme,” he stressed.
The President recently replaced Customs commissioner Isidro Lapeña with former Armed Forces of the Philippines chief of staff and Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) administrator Gen. Rey Leonardo Guerrero. This was after some P11 billion worth of shabu had slipped past the BOC under his watch.
Lapeña had been transferred to the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) as its administrator which is considered a “promotion” according to the President.
But with the transfer, and Lapeña’s replacement, Duterte directed Guerrero to freeze all section heads and to put military men in sensitive posts in the Bureau to make sure that no illegal drug shipment would again get past the bureau.
Duterte assigned Lapeña as Customs commissioner in August 2017 after accepting the resignation of Nicanor Faeldon following reports that P6.4 billion worth of shabu had slipped past Customs.
The President said he still believes both Lapeña and Faeldon are not corrupt men.
“They are not corrupt. I would not have appointed them if they were corrupt,” Duterte said.
“Mind you, ito si Sid Lapeña sa Customs including Faeldon who was his predecessor, puro military ‘to, nalusutan talaga sila,” he said during the 39th Masskara Festival in Bacolod City last Saturday.
(with a report from Moira Encina, Eagle News Service)
