Customs officials exchange blows

Two Customs officials in Cebu got into a fistfight over remarks on an import entry document after the entire bureau was ordered to do manual process documents because of systems breakdown in Manila due to the typhoon.

It was Customs Operations Officer V Gary Palala who allegedly punched Assessment Division assistant chief Emmanuel Laudit in the face first yesterday morning.

Customs District Collector Ricardo Belmonte ordered his men yesterday to process documents such as import entry manually due to on-line system breakdown in their head office in Manila.

Palala wanted the import entry document marked "temporarily released" but Laudit refused as he wanted to have the document marked as "due to systems breakdown, no hard copy available."

Witnesses said that Laudit was the first to raise his voice to Palala prompting the latter to report to his immediate boss, Carlos Corsiga, the Assessment Division chief.

Corsega approached Laudit outside his office while he was smoking and told him to settle the matter.

Laudit went back to Palala and pointed his finger at the latter's face while he was sitting and drinking coffee at his table.

Palala got mad at him and opened his drawer as if he is taking something inside but he was punched by Laudit and the two traded blows.

Other examiners ganged up on Laudit and beat him up.

Examiner Antonio Aseniero and some examiners helped Laudit stand up but the latter insisted on continuing to fight with Palala, but he was already brought to the office of Belmonte.

Belmonte came downstairs to cool things down and asked Palala to leave the office for the meantime.

Belmonte said that he ordered an investigation into the incident to find out the real cause of the fight. - Gregg M. Rubio/BRP