Customs exec won’t name powerful forces

MANILA, Philippines - Dared to name the “powerful forces” he had accused of interfering in the operations of the Bureau of Customs (BOC), the agency’s intelligence chief and retired Army general Danilo Lim would rather keep his silence.

“Suffice it to say, marami talaga sumasawsaw diyan (many are dipping their fingers into it),” Lim, deputy commissioner for the BOC intelligence group, said when asked in an interview over radio dzBB yesterday whether these forces include personalities in Malacañang and Congress.

Lawmakers are calling on Lim to name names.

“The problem here is big. Maybe the solution here should be radical. There are many (BOC) divisions that should be abolished,” he said.

Lim said he filed his letter of resignation last Tuesday, a day after President Aquino lambasted the BOC in his State of the Nation Address as one of the most corrupt agencies in government. The others are the Bureau of Immigration and the National Irrigation Administration, whose heads have been replaced.

Lim said his decision to quit would give the President a free hand in appointing his successor. BOC Commissioner Rufino Biazon’s resignation was turned down by the Palace. Malacañang has yet to decide on Lim’s resignation as well as on a similar offer from BOC deputy commissioner for internal administration group Juan Lorenzo Tañada.

In an interview with radio dzMM, Tañada said the “powerful forces” include senators and congressmen as well relatives of some high officials.

In his 18-months in the bureau, Tañada said he would receive requests for favors like employment or job promotion from people in high places, but he always referred them to Biazon.

He said the problem of corruption in the bureau is well entrenched and that it would take at least 12 years or two administrations to solve the problem.

He admitted that many BOC personnel with low salaries were vulnerable to bribe offers or were unwilling or afraid to come out in the open to testify against their erring superiors.

Lawmakers’ dare

Several senators said Lim should name names and cooperate in any investigation into his allegation.

Sen. Vicente Sotto III said the Senate should conduct an inquiry into the matter in aid of legislation, “if the executive department will not initiate a probe into the allegations.”

Sotto, along with senators Jinggoy Estrada and Gregorio Honasan, said general statements coming from Lim would be of little help in an investigation.

“I urge Danny Lim to name those powerful group and politicians who are intervening at the BOC.  I am open to an investigation by the Senate,” Estrada told The STAR.

“They have to name names, present evidence so that there will be no trial by publicity by some irresponsible media just like what happened in the PDAF issue,” Honasan said, referring to the alleged misuse of some P10 billion in Priority Development Assistance Fund of lawmakers.

Honasan, Estrada and Sotto are now part of the six-member minority bloc led by former Senate president Juan Ponce Enrile.

Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV said President Aquino was direct in his tirade against BOC corruption in his SONA because he is “fully aware of the power players influencing affairs at the BOC.”

And while the President appeared convinced that “it would be more prudent to allow the executive to do their own housecleaning for now,” Trillanes said he would participate in any Senate probe on the issue.

Sen. Francis Escudero, for his part, said Lim should “not simply mention senators, congressman in general.” 

“Let the axe fall where it may,” he said.

At the House of Representatives, senior lawmakers accused Lim and Tañada of blaming others for their failure in the BOC.

“I don’t know about the others, but I’ve never called any of them,” Ilocos Norte Rep. Rodolfo Fariñas told The STAR in a telephone interview. “The commissioners are supposed to implement the law and passing the blame for their failures is unfair,” he said.

“What I’m sure though is that they (Lim and Tañada) got their orders from the President and they should’ve enforced them, and reported to the President whoever is forcing them to violate the law,” he said.

He said that if ever, lawmakers can only make empty threats and BOC officials can always ignore any requests for them to violate the law. 

Valenzuela City Rep. Magtanggol Gunigundo said Lim and Tañada can always reject requests for favors or under-the-table deals.

“Being pressured or called by members of Congress is part of the territory, so if they can’t stand it, then they should not be there in the first place,” Gunigundo said. “But if the calls are about releasing (seized) shipments to be forfeited, that’s another matter.”

“Since they supposedly have the trust and confidence of the President, what they should do is to insulate themselves, and make sure the equation of collecting revenues and promoting trade is complete and balanced,” he said.

He said he does not personally know Lim or Tañada but stressed lawmakers are constantly working with the BOC in pursuing reforms in the agency.

He said he is studying various customs modernization bills filed by Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez, and Muntinlupa City Rep. Rodolfo Biazon, father of the BOC commissioner.

Gunigundo also said Biazon should carry out his plan to revamp his agency “before the end of this week, and not drag his feet any longer.”

“He (Biazon) said he already knows what to do but is only blocked by powerful interests. But now since the President is behind him, he can order any swell-headed official or collector, who may have powerful political patrons, to be transferred,” Gunigundo said. – With Paolo Romero, Christina Mendez