Berroya accepts GMA offer to head Customs police

Retired police general Reynaldo Berroya has reportedly accepted the offer of President Arroyo to become the new Bureau of Customs (BOC) police chief.

Berroya reportedly accepted the post to replace incumbent Custom’s Enforcement and Security Services (ESS) director Virgilio Sala who is set to retire on Oct. 27.

Berroya is currently assistant secretary for special operations of the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) where Mrs. Arroyo appointed him right after his retirement from the police service earlier this year.

Berroya’s pending appointment has been bruited for the past few weeks as he was seen around the BOC district offices around the country apparently feeling his way around his upcoming position.

Cebu Customs district collector Billy Bibit told The STAR Friday that Berroya has accepted his new assignment.

"He (Berroya) told me that he had already talked with President Arroyo that he is accepting his new post," Bibit said.

"And I told him it would be a good challenge for him to accept this new assignment," he said.

Bibit and Berroya were colleagues in the defunct Reform the Armed Forces Movement (RAM) which took a major part in the uprising against the late strongman Ferdinand Marcos in the 1986 people power revolt.

Berroya’s career, however, was cut down after he was arrested over his involvement in the kidnapping of Taiwanese businessman Jack Chou.

Berroya was sentenced to life imprisonment for the kidnapping. This was after then Senior Superintendent Panfilo Lacson and others testified that Berroya was involved in the kidnapping of a supposed drug lord.

Berroya was later released after his conviction was reversed by the Supreme Court.

He was later reinstated to the police service several months after Mrs. Arroyo took over the presidency in January 2001.

During the May presidential elections, Mrs. Arroyo appointed Berroya to head a special task force to go after "kotong" (mulcting) cops.

Berroya’s pending appointment as the new BOC police chief came after Mrs. Arroyo declared an all out war against smugglers.

As director of the Custom’s ESS, Berroya has the principal task of fully enforcing the Tariff and Customs Code which include offenses related to smuggling activities.

President Arroyo recently issued an executive order that empowered Customs Commissioner George Jereos of the previous functions of the defunct Economic Intelligence and Investigation Bureau to carry out the intensified campaign against smuggling.

Mrs. Arroyo earlier directed Jereos, who is also set to retire next year, to come out with an order of battle against big-time smugglers in the same measure against kidnap-for-ransom gang leaders.

The campaign against smugglers is an effort by the administration to stave off an impending fiscal crisis due to revenue collection leakages caused by smuggling and corruption.