DOF exec named Customs OIC

MANILA, Philippines - President Aquino has picked a ranking official of the Department of Finance (DOF) to temporarily head the Bureau of Customs (BOC) following the resignation of Ruffy Biazon.

In a statement, the DOF said Finance Undersecretary John Sevilla has been tasked to be the officer-in-charge at the BOC.

Sevilla will thus temporarily step down as the department’s undersecretary for the corporate affairs group and privatization.

Outgoing Customs commissioner Biazon submitted his resignation letter to the President last Monday after he was slapped with charges of allegedly misusing his pork barrel when he was congressman of Muntinlupa City.

“While it is a monumental challenge to fill the shoes left behind by Ruffy Biazon at Customs, we are in full support of the President’s decision to tap Undersecretary Sevilla for the job,” Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima said.

“Leadership of the Bureau of Customs requires someone who is results-oriented and an expert on economics, international relations, and project implementation. These traits describe Sunny Sevilla perfectly,” Purisima added.

Purisima said: “We recognize that it is our temporary loss at the DOF to see Undersecretary Sevilla go, but nevertheless, we wish him the best on this new opportunity to serve the country.”

In his Twitter post yesterday, Biazon said he and Sevilla have already met: “Had initial meeting with Usec Sunny Sevilla, incoming OIC for BOC. We’ll coordinate for transition.”

Sevilla has served as finance undersecretary for the corporate affairs group and privatization since 2010. He has also been the undersecretary for privatization from 2006 to 2007.

Prior to joining the DOF, Sevilla was an executive director at investment bank Goldman Sachs and associate director and sovereign rater for credit rating agency Standard and Poor’s.

At the same time, Sevilla was chief operating officer of Synergeia Foundation, a non-profit organization meant to improve the quality of public education in the country.

Sevilla graduated from Cornell University with a degree in Economics and Government. He also has a master’s degree in Public Affairs from Princeton University.

Malacañang hinted yesterday that the next BOC chief should have “good relations” with Secretary Purisima.

“That (being on good terms) is one of the factors that would enhance performance, (it) would be that aspect of having good relations within the authority structure of the agency concerned,” Press Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said.

Customs is a revenue-generating agency under the supervision of the finance department.

Coloma underscored the importance of such a setup, where the heads of finance department and BOC work hand in hand, since the latter is responsible for a huge part of the revenue generation efforts of the national government, next to the Bureau of Internal Revenue. With Delon Porcalla, Evelyn Macairan