Customs: No meeting between officials, "players and facilitators"

CEBU, Philippines - The district commander of the Enforcement and Security Service of the Bureau of Customs-Port of Cebu has vehemently denied insinuations that two of their  top officials who recently visited Cebu met with the so-called “players and facilitators” of shipments here.

“Hindi totoo yung mga reports na lumalabas sa mga tabloids,” BOC-ESS District Commander Jerry Arizabal told The Freeman.

Arizabal clarified that ESS Director Nestorio Gualberto and newly-appointed Deputy Commissioner for Enforcement Horacio Suansing Jr. visited Cebu simply to visit their headquarters here and discuss some problems encountered by customs police.

Arizabal said the visit of Gualberto and Suansing have given a boost to the morale of the customs police.

Suansing, the former BOC-Manila collector was appointed by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to replace the position vacated by former Intelligence and Enforcement Group chief Celso Templo who already retired from service.

The office handled by Suansing is newly-created by virtue of Executive Order 805 that Arroyo signed last May 25. —Mitchelle L. Palaubsanon/JMO   (THE FREEMAN)