Duterte set to fire 4 more Customs officials

FILE: President Rodrigo Roa Duterte delivers his speech following the oath-taking ceremony of his son, Vice Mayor Sebastian Duterte, at the Sangguniang Panlungsod in Davao City on June 21, 2019. JOEY DALUMPINES/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

MANILA — Frustrated by the rampant corruption within the agency, President Rodrigo Duterte said he is set to fire at least four officials of the Bureau of Customs (BOC).

“Hindi pa hinto itong corruption. May apat pa (Corruption has not stopped yet. There are four more). In this week, Customs na naman. Ubusin ko talaga ‘yan (it’s Customs. I’ll finish them off),” Duterte said in his speech in Malacañan Palace on Monday night.

“Sabi nila hindi ma-control ang corruption. Eh tignan natin(They say that corruption cannot be controlled. Then we’ll see),” he added.

Last year, Duterte warned that he would replace all Customs employees with military personnel after billions worth of shabu slipped past the agency.

‘Jagger’ has PRRD’s trust

Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo, however, said Commissioner Rey Leonardo “Jagger” Guerrero still enjoys the Chief Executive’s trust and confidence.

“I think so because he (the President) has not mentioned anything about him (Guerrero),” Panelo said in a Palace briefing when asked if Duterte still trusted the BOC chief.

Panelo, however, said he has no knowledge of who Duterte will be sacking from the agency.

“Wala siyang binanggit. General iyong pagkakasabi niya kagabi (He has not mentioned anything yet. He spoke on general terms),” Panelo said.

Guerrero, a retired military chief, is the third Customs commissioner in the three years Duterte has been in office.

Before Guerrero, retired police general Isidro “Sid” Lapeña and Marine officer Nicanor Faeldon were also named BOC chief but were reassigned due to separate shabu shipment scandals.

Lapeña is now Technical Education and Skills Development Authority chief while Faeldon is now Bureau of Corrections chief.