‘Vultures’ at BOC strip Loren’s bus

Not even a favorite project of a senator is spared by pilferers at the Bureau of Customs.

Senate Majority Leader Loren Legarda learned this bitter fact yesterday after a second-hand tourist bus donated by the Emmanuel 2000 Movement of Korea for her "Luntiang Pilipinas" project was cannibalized by what she called "vultures" at the South Harbor.

"Luntiang Pilipinas" is a foundation set up by Legarda to propagate her vision of a green park in every locality.

Pastor Jo Sung Jo, a Korean priest and a personal friend of former Batangas governor Antonio Leviste, facilitated the donation of the bus to Luntiang Pilipinas. It was shipped from Korea three weeks ago, and arrived at the South Harbor on Jan. 14 but its release was delayed because it could not be driven out of the Customs area.

Yesterday, a staffer of Legarda was shocked to find that the audio-visual equipment of the donated bus was cannibalized while in the custody of the bureau.

Ding Panganiban, Legarda’s chief of staff, said that the audio-visual equipment was meant to train "Luntian" crusaders or volunteers on the implementation of the greening project.

Legarda was fuming mad when she learned that the donated bus was stripped of its audiovisual equipment while at the BOC.

"Now I know why the Customs has never lost its reputation as a corrupt government agency," she said.

She sneered that the "vultures" at South Harbor would have left nothing but the carcass of the bus had they been allowed to do so.

The bus already had all the needed documents and its release by the Customs bureau should have been merely perfunctory, according to Legarda.

"If they can do this with impunity to a non-profit organization endorsed by a senator, I shudder at the thought of ordinary people having to deal with those unscrupulous Customs men," Legarda said.

She challenged Customs Commissioner Antonio Bernardo to cleanse the agency of misfits and corrupt personnel.

"If he could not do this, Bernardo should seriously consider passing on the leadership of the bureau to someone who can effect changes," Legarda added.

The bus is now in a repair shop undergoing a thorough evaluation of the extent of damage it suffered while at the Customs area.