Customs personnel reshuffled

MANILA, Philippines — Amid President Duterte’s threat to fire more officials of the Bureau of Customs (BOC), Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero yesterday reshuffled the district collectors.

The reshuffle is part of the agency’s “mid-year performance evaluation,” according to BOC assistant commissioner Philip Vincent Maronilla. 

Among those affected by the reshuffle is Rhea Gregorio of the Port of Manila, who will be transferred to the Port of San Fernando in La Union.

Gregorio will replace Ruby Claudia Alameda, who will move to the Port of Clark in lieu of Lilibeth Sandag, who was transferred to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport  (NAIA) as deputy collector (DC) for operations.

NAIA DC for operations Michael Angelo Vargas was transferred to the Port of Limay in Bataan.

Last month, Guerrero designated Port of Limay acting DC Guillermo Francia as acting DC of the Manila International Container Port.

MICP’s district collector Erastus Sandino Austria was transferred to Davao, replacing Romalino Valdez, who was moved to Batangas.

The Batangas post was formerly occupied by Edward Ibera, who was designated as the port’s DC for assessment.

Arsenia Ilagan of the Port of Legaspi will be transferred to Manila. 

The second round of reshuffle came after President Duterte expressed plans to fire more Customs officials and replace them with Army officers to stop the corruption in the agency.

Yesterday, Duterte said four more officials would be sacked.

Earlier, Maronilla said they would wait for the President to announce who among the officials would be removed from their posts.

“No comment. We would allow the President to first make an announcement, because right now we do not know” who would be affected by the planned changes in the bureau, Maronilla said.

At present, there are about five former military officials occupying high positions in the BOC, including Guerrero, Deputy Director for intelligence Raniel Ramiro and Deputy Director for internal administration Donato Belmonte San Juan.