DOF to decide on fate of generals serving as port collectors

MANILA, Philippines - The fate of the retired generals occupying posts as port collector would be decided by the Department of Finance (DOF), Bureau of Customs (BOC) Commissioner Alberto Lina said yesterday.

Lina earlier submitted to the DOF a list of officials and personnel that he recommended for transfer to another position in the bureau.

“We have already submitted the recommendation to the DOF. So it is the DOF that would act on it,” Lina said.

“It is the DOF that would act on whatever is discussed in the last congressional hearing. We leave it at that,” he added.

During a congressional hearing last week, Valenzuela City Rep. Magtanggol Gunigundo called for the removal of retired generals from the BOC for reportedly failing to meet their collection targets.

Lina said he proposed to transfer the retired generals-turned BOC district collectors to the Office of the Revenue Agency Modernization or reassigned to the BOC Intelligence Group or the Enforcement Group.

Lina, a reserve Army lieutenant colonel, however did not identify the retired generals in the eight-page list.

There are currently eight retired generals assigned as district collectors. They are Bonifacio de Castro in San Fernando; Elmir de la Cruz at the Manila International Container Port (MICP); Mario Mendoza at the Port of Manila (POM); Arnulfo Marcos in Cebu; Ricardo Butalid in Davao region; Esteban Castro in Clark; Ernesto Benitez in Batangas, and Jerry Loresco in Zamboanga.