ShareThis2,000 missing container vans,car smuggling from US blamed
MANILA — Bureau of Customs (BOC) Commissioner Angelito Alvarez has started packing his things after President Benigno Simeon “Noynoy” Aquino III announced this week that he was not satisfied with his performance and that he will be replaced.
Alvarez was being blamed for his alleged failure to stop smuggling resulting to the loss of more than 2,000 container vans, the smuggling of vehicles, expensive bikes and guns from the United States, among others.
While admitting that he does not really know what finally triggered the President’s decision, Alvarez said he accepts his fate.
“I serve at the pleasure of the President,” he said. “As a presidential appointee, we are aware that we can be replaced anytime. I respect his decision,” Alvarez added.
It was gathered that former Rep. Raffy Biazon, who lost in the Senate slate of Aquino in the last elections, was a shoo-in to the post, but the President hinted that Alvarez’ successor comes from the private sector like Alvarez.
Alvarez said that he is happy to return to his private life and has not regretted accepting the BOC post. He was president of the Fedex and Air 21 Group of former Customs Commissioner Alberto Lina, brother of former Sen. Jose Lina Jr.
Last week, reports circulated that Alvarez resigned as BOC Commissioner which he vehemently denied.
Alvarez said that some lawmakers as well as smugglers affected by his anti-smuggling campaign have called for his resignation.
Alvarez said that whoever will take over his position must be prepared because “politics” exist even inside the BOC.
Alvarez was quoted by ABS-CBN and its sister studio ANC that he stepped on a lot of raw nerves, some of whom could have exerted all efforts to boot him out of office.
Alvarez stressed that he served the President with all his energy.
“I really don’t know [the judgment] of the President. On my part, I served my task effectively and with integrity,” he said.
He said he has, in fact, filed 43 smuggling cases involving P53 billion in total claims for the government, belying allegations by his detractors that he has not done much while in office.
“The past 2 weeks alone, we seized P1 billion worth of counterfeit products, so talagang marami nang nasasaktan even on the part of the employees. Even those who worked before the BoC [Bureau of Customs], marami nang nasasagasaan,” he said.
He said even lawmakers have asked for his head, “but I just can’t do anything. [In fact] I was the one who discovered the anomaly…I assured the guilty parties would be charged.”
Alvarez has reported the discovery of another anomalous disappearance of about 3,656 containers while being transshipped from Manila to Batangas.
In a statement, Alvarez said the missing containers disappeared between January to December of 2010. These are on top of his earlier report about the 1,910 container vans that were supposed to arrive at the Batangas Port from January to May this year.
The BOC audit team tapped for this latest transhipment scam identified the consignees involved here as the Jaycen Enterprises, which accounted for 2,901 of the missing containers; Sea Eagle Trading, 768 containers; and Green Mountain Trading, 175 containers.