President sacks 2 top Cebu Customs officials

CEBU CITY — Beleaguered Customs officials Roberto Sacramento and Santiago Maravillas were relieved yesterday and transferred to the Bureau of Customs’ main office in Manila.

Malacañang announced the issuance of their relief orders, according to presidential liaison officer Elberto Emphasis who was with President Arroyo last Saturday.

Emphasis discussed with Mrs. Arroyo the worsening smuggling activities at the Port of Cebu.

Emphasis said the two Customs officials were relieved even if the results of the investigation into the disappearance of the cargo ship Great Faith and its load of 20,000 bags of smuggled rice while under Customs custody were to be known only yesterday.

Emphasis said the President had long considered relieving Sacramento and Maravillas but that it took sometime to find their replacements.

Maravillas said he actually requested Emphasis to intercede for his transfer to another assignment.

He said the controversies have bothered him and that he could no longer function effectively.

He said he also wants to put a stop to suspicions that he was out to destroy Sacramento’s administration.

Maravillas, Sacramento’s deputy collector, described his working relationship with his boss as "strained."

Iloilo Customs collector John Tan said Customs Commissioner Titus Villanueva has ordered him to report to his office pending deliberations as to who would replace Sacramento.

Tan said Villanueva was considering him for a Cebu post but did not say if he would replace Sacramento.

Another Customs collector, Marcial Lopez, is also being considered but like Sacramento and Maravillas, he has also been implicated in smuggling cases in Legaspi City.

The relief of Sacramento and Maravillas marks the first time the President has dealt firmly with smuggling right at the Cebu port under the noses of Customs officials.

A search for the Great Faith has proven to be a failure. The vessel does not have night vision navigational capability and with its load of 20,000 sacks of rice, it should be sailing slow with its 6,000 deadweight tons.

With the huge waves in open seas and spells of bad weather, the vessel has to keep its speed at only six to eight knots or even slower.

Navy and Coast Guard boats have speeds of 30 to 35 knots, making it implausible for the Great Faith not to be overrun when it "escaped" from the Ouano wharf in Mandaue City on Christmas Eve. — Freeman News Service