Danny Lim to be assigned outside of Customs

MANILA, Philippines - President Benigno Aquino III on Thursday announced that he is moving former military general Danilo Lim out of the Bureau of Customs (BOC).

"I will be giving him a new assignment and we are still in the process of discussing where his new assignment will be..." Aquino said at a televised press briefing in Davao.

"He will be given a new tasking out of Customs," he added.

Aquino said he recently talked to Lim, currently the BOC's Deputy Commissioner for Intelligence, who had claimed that "powerful forces" are meddling at the bureau which has been criticized for the supposed corruption among its personnel.

"I spent most of the time getting briefed on the nitty gritty as far as the Customs is concerned, the problems that he encountered. Issues para magkaroon ng substance yung aking mga suspicions before," Aquino added.

Customs chief Ruffy Biazon offered to resign minutes after President Aquino berated the BOC for the supposed corruption among its personnel.

Lim and Customs Deputy Commissioner for Administration Juan Lorenzo Tañada also submitted their resignation.

The resignations have been rejected by Malacañang.

Aquino said that he has yet to talk to Tañada.

The President, meanwhile, assured that the public will see "radical transformation" in the BOC within a month after the plans for the agency are finished.

Days after Biazon's resignation was rejected, the BOC chief asked the bureau's 17 district directors to leave their posts.

Biazon said that it is part of the bureau's renewed reform efforts.