BOC chief meets new deputies

MANILA, Philippines - Former Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief Jessie Dellosa received his marching orders yesterday from his new boss, Bureau of Customs (BOC) Commissioner Rufino Biazon: to run after smugglers listed in the bureau’s order of battle.

Dellosa, a 56-year-old retired general, was one of the agency’s new deputy commissioners who met with Biazon yesterday morning.

The former AFP chief heads the bureau’s intelligence and enforcement group (IEG), a combination of the Intelligence Group (IG) last led by resigned deputy commissioner Danilo Lim, and the Enforcement Group (EG) that was under former deputy commissioner Horacio Suansing Jr.

Also present in the meeting were Agaton Teodoro Uvero, deputy commissioner for assessment and operations coordinating group that was previously headed by Prudencio Reyes; former Department of Budget and Management (DBM) director Myrna Chua who was appointed deputy commissioner for internal administration group replacing Jose Lorenzo Tañada; and National Tax and Research Center executive director Trinidad Rodriguez who was appointed deputy commissioner for revenue collection monitoring group that was handled by Peter Manzano.

Biazon said Primo Aguas, who would take over the post of Maria Caridad Manarang as deputy commissioner for management information systems and technology Group, was still out of the country yesterday.

The BOC chief said that during their meeting he gave a basic orientation of life in the bureau, what he would expect from them and gave them their first assignments.

Dellosa was directed to continue the operations against smugglers and violators of the Tariffs and Customs Code of the Philippines.

Biazon said that the order of battle that was earlier prepared by the IG “would be endorsed to him for them (IEG) to work on.”

He explained that the order of battle is a watch list of high-risk importers and brokers.

The IEG would monitor the activities and transactions of these importers and brokers with the bureau.

Dellosa said he does not see any problem with managing two units, the IG and EG, at the same time since in the previous organizational setup the two units were combined.

When asked if he would have difficulty learning the ropes at the BOC, Dellosa said, “I am still adjusting to my job from the military to a civilian agency. I still have to find out what is my situation in my department. I am expecting I could work with them (IG and EG personnel) harmoniously. I expect we would do the right job.”

Dellosa also expressed his gratitude to President Aquino and Biazon for their trust and confidence. He also clarified that he does not see his appointment as deputy commissioner for IEG as a demotion from being AFP chief of staff because the BOC is a civilian agency and is, therefore, different from being in the military.

“In that sense, I did not see the same application of hierarchy, and I do not consider this a demotion. It is a job that was offered to me and if it will allow me to serve once again, then I accept it with the same soldier’s commitment. Both are mandated and committed to the service of our government and I am humbled that the President and his advisers see my qualification for this job,” he added.

As for the other newly designated deputy commissioners, Biazon said he asked Rodriguez to prepare the cases the BOC would file on Thursday before the Department of Justice (DOJ).

Chua was asked to address the issues concerning personnel and to get clearance from the DBM to hire new employees.

Uvero, who is already familiar with the workings in the bureau, was asked to accelerate the disposal of seized cargoes.

Biazon said former deputy commissioners Tañada and Manzano were appointed to the newly created Customs Policy Research Office (CPRO).

Other members of the CPRO are the 27 district collectors who hold the rank as collector 5 and collector 6 that were transferred to other posts.

Biazon had also appointed officers-in-charge to head 17 port districts.

Collector Agapito Panlasigui Jr. was appointed to the Port of San Fernando in La Union, Collector Leovigildo Dajoya to the Port of Manila, Antonio Meliton Pascual to the Manila International Container Port, Nerza Rebustes to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, Collector Reynaldo Galeno to the Port of Batangas, Chuchi Medina to the Port of Legaspi, Collector Ernelito Aquino to the Port of Iloilo, Collector Paul Alcazaren to the Port of Cebu, Collector Julius Premediles to the Port of Tacloban, Collector Cesar Tugday to the Port of Surigao, Collector Ruby Claudia Alameda to the Port of Cagayan de Oro, Darwisha Shuck to the Port of Zamboanga, Collector Samsom Pacasum to the Port of Davao, Collector Lucila Medina to the Port of Subic, Collector Oswaldo Geli to the Port of Clark, Collector Antonio Ferraren II to the Port of Aparri, and Collector Elvira Cruz to the Port of Limay.