Barbers asks GMA to fire Customs chief ahead of retirement

Sen. Robert Barbers asked President Arroyo yesterday to immediately fire Customs Commissioner Titus Villanueva, instead of waiting until March 20 to replace him with Finance Undersecretary Antonio Bernardo.

Malacañang announced the other day that Bernardo would take over the Bureau of Customs on March 30, but Barbers protested that Villanueva "does not deserve to stay a minute longer in his post and should be replaced immediately."

In a privilege speech, Barbers rapped at the "dismal performance" of Villanueva and for the latter’s alleged involvement in several alleged anomalous transactions that have gravely prejudiced national interest.

He enumerated six charges against Villanueva: inaction on P5.32-billion worth of unliquidated bonds that should have been forfeited in favor of the government, unauctioned overstaying and abandoned cargoes worth P1.3 billion; rice smuggling, revenue shortfall of P8.85 billion for the year 2001, and for recommending the payment of P5.68 billion to Societe Generale de Surveillance "for an overprice of P4.117 billion."

Barbers said the inaction of Villanueva on the bonds that should have been forfeited in favor of the government made him suspect that the Customs chief could be in cahoots with insurance and surety firms.

"The inaction of the customs bureau under Commissioner Villanueva has resulted in the failure to earn for our country billions of pesos in revenues that we are in dire need of, especially during these troubled times," he said.

He added that what has made things worse is that erring insurance and surety firms and the customs bonded warehouse continue to be accredited at the Bureau of Customs.

Barbers also rapped Villanueva for failing to auction off overstaying and abandoned cargoes, many of which are now found missing. He said he has data showing there are 1,112 "overstaying" containers in Customs custody.

"With the minimum auction price of P150,000 per container, the government could earn P11 million this year, which could help fund much needed priority projects of the government," he calculated.

He also blamed Villanueva for the resurgence of rice smuggling all over the country. He said that whenever his appointed district collectors are involved in anomalous transactions, he transfer them to other sensitive positions "where they will again continue to practice their nefarious activities like rice smuggling."

"Rice and other forms of rice smuggling all over the country cannot be stopped for as long as Commissioner Villanueva is chief of the Customs bureau," Barbers asserted.

He said that Villanueva also endorsed the payment of P5.68 billion for the services of SGS, despite an earlier finding by a BOC-SGS review panel headed by Deputy Commissioner Emma Rosqueta that SGS should be paid only P1.563 billion as there were double billings, unverified clean report of findings, errors in reporting, and billings made after the expiration of the SGS contract. – With Paolo Romero, Cecille Suerte Felipe