Gordon backs PRRD on ‘lawless violence’ remark at BOC

“Ang hinihingi ko lang kay Presidente, i-detalye kung anong gagawin ng mga sundalo (I’m asking the President to detail what would be the soldiers’ tasks),” he said. (File Photo: Senate of the Philippines/Facebook)

MANILA — Senator Richard Gordon said Tuesday President Rodrigo Duterte was right when he said there is “lawless violence” at the Bureau of Customs (BOC), stressing that the Philippines is now “under siege” due to the seemingly unrestricted entry of illegal drugs in the country’s ports.

In an ambush interview, Gordon said hearings conducted by the Senate Committee on Accountability of Public Officers and Investigations (Blue Ribbon) on the billions of pesos worth of “shabu” smuggled into the country clearly shows the depth of corruption at the BOC.

“Malinaw na lumalabas ngayon, malalim ang (It’s clear — the depth of) smuggling operations, and we are under siege,” he told reporters after the 19th hearing conducted by the Senate panel which he headed. “His (Duterte) ‘lawless violence’ is the entry of drugs, untrammeled, in the BOC that wreaks violence to our people.”

Gordon added that since Duterte has placed the BOC under the temporary control of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), he suggested that the President should now come out with a detailed program on how military personnel would function within the agency.

“Ang hinihingi ko lang kay Presidente, i-detalye kung anong gagawin ng mga sundalo (I’m asking the President to detail what would be the soldiers’ tasks),” he said.

Since soldiers are certainly not able to immediately take over customs assessment functions, he suggested that among the roles that the military could assume right away is the apprehension and opening of container boxes that have not been withdrawn after the prescribed period.

Gordon said thousands of “overstaying” container vans at the Manila International Container Port (MICP) and other ports of entry are a source of corruption and part of the drug smuggling operations.

Besides the detailed program that the military would follow, he said the government should also start looking for qualified replacements for the erring personnel who are surely to be dismissed from service.

“I think the President should come out with a program of activities for the military and at the same time there is a need to provide a Customs academy where it could get replacements for the erring ones,” Gordon said.

Duterte said Sunday he would ask the AFP to temporarily take over the BOC due to the “dirty games” being played within the agency.

“It will be a takeover of the Armed Forces in the matter of operating, in the meantime, while we are sorting out how to effectively meet the challenges of corruption in this country. With these kinds of games, they are playing, dirty games, I am forced now to ask the Armed Forces to take over,” he said.

Duterte added that he would be placing all BOC employees under floating status and will be required to report directly to the Office of the President.

The President said his decision is part of his earlier declaration of a state of lawlessness in the country.

“Remember, I have issued, during the first days of my term, this is the declaration of lawlessness. Part of the lawless elements is there inside the Bureau of Customs,” Duterte said.