Customs chief now permanent in post

President Arroyo has appointed Napoleon Morales as permanent commissioner of the Bureau of Customs (BOC) after nearly five months serving as acting commissioner.

Morales was sworn into office yesterday at the library of Malacañang. He replaced Deputy Commissioner Alexander Arevalo at the helm of the agency.

Morales accepted his official appointment by Mrs. Arroyo yesterday, saying it was a challenge to his almost four-decade career in the bureau.

"I never thought that this would happen, not in my wildest dreams. 39 years ago, I was a clerk-messenger and now I am here. I am very thankful to the President for the trust she has given me." Morales told The STAR in an interview after receiving his appointment papers from the Palace.

The new commissioner said the official appointment might have come as a reward for the good performance he has shown over the past five months, during which he led the bureau in collecting P3.629 billion in surplus revenues.

"I am very happy that my dedication to the BOC has finally paid off. I told the President that I would double my efforts now that I am the team leader of the BOC," Morales stressed. He reiterated that his campaign against smugglers was an essential part of the bureau’s bid to meet its target collection of P196 billion this year.

Morales’ appointment came after Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita announced that former National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) officer-in-charge Nestor Mantaring would become acting director of the agency on Wednesday, replacing the late Reynaldo Wycoco.

Five other officials were also appointed to various government offices: former Philippine National Police chief Roberto Lastimoso as Director 5 of the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 under the Department of Transportation and Communications; Josefina Santos replaced former Justice Jesus Elbinias as acting member of the Board of Pardons and Parole; Federico Puno was appointed as a member of the Board of Directors of the Manila Electric Co.; Antonio Habana replaced Ma. Fatima Valdes as chairman of the board of Bataan Technology Park Inc. (BTPI); and Stefani Sano replaced Alfredo Antonio as president and member of the board of BPTI. — Paolo Romero, Edu Pinay