Laoag airport’s Customs head sacked

LAOAG CITY — The head of the Bureau of Customs detailed at the Laoag International Airport (LIA) was sacked for her alleged failure to curb smuggling, newsmen learned yesterday.

Jocelyn Estigoy, who was earlier declared persona non grata by the provincial officials of Ilocos Norte in an unprecedented Sangguniang Panlalawigan resolution, was said to have been sacked by her superiors in Manila following the recent smuggling of boxes of prawn and bangus fries from Kaoshiung, Taiwan.

Estigoy, however, claimed that she personally sought her relief to avoid further disputes with provincial officials here.

Nestor Domenden, Regional Director of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) here, said that shipping bangus and prawn fries into the country is banned under Republic Act No. 8550 and Fisheries and Aquatic Order No. 207.

The news of Estigoy’s relief was announced by Vice Governor Windell Chua. Quoting reports from Congressman Roque Ablan, he said Estigoy was relieved for her alleged failure to block the entry of bangus and prawn fries worth millions of pesos into the country last July 11.

Dr. Ernie Mendoza, Presidential Assistant for North Luzon, earlier expressed apprehension that the liquid content of the other smuggled boxes might have contained chemicals used in making shabu.

Mendoza was the first to expose to newsmen the reported smuggling of bangus and prawn fry. This prompted local officials here to conduct a thorough investigation of the illegal activity.