CEBU, Philippines - Lawyer Lourdes Mangaong is starting as Bureau of Customs-Cebu officer-in-charge (OIC) today.
This developed as the Port of Cebu reported it is on track in its collection targets despite the leadership issues affecting the whole BOC.
“Hindi naman tayo (We are not) affected especially our collection. We are still able to hit our daily target collection,†said Atty. Vicente Yutangco, Jr.
He said a P100-million payment for taxes and duties by a power plant will form part of this month’s collection.
In a text message to The FREEMAN yesterday, Mangaoang said she already got the agreement of Customs Commissioner Rufino Biazon for her to head BOC-Cebu.
“In last Friday’s command conference with the collectors, Biazon affirmed that I am the OIC of Cebu and directed Alcazaren to go back to his mother unit, which is the Port of Mactan,†she said.
Mangaoang, currently the BOC-Cebu deputy collector for assessment, was referring to lawyer Paul Alcazaren, who assumed as BOC-Cebu OIC last Sept. 30.
With Mangaong’s designation, Alcazaren will go back to his original post as Mactan sub-port collector.
Biazon last Sept. 25 issued a memorandum directing the country’s 27 collectors with ranks of Collector V and VI to report to the Customs Policy Research Office in the Department of Finance (DOF).
He then designated Alcazaren and 16 others as OICs of the different ports of the country.
In response, Mangaoang and 13 other collectors petitioned the courts for a declaratory relief and were granted a three-day temporary restraining order (TRO) against the memorandum last Oct. 1. Last Oct. 4, the court granted the collectors another TRO lasting for 17 days.
Mangaoang also said that Biazon’s memorandum elevating Alcazaren as Cebu port OIC was not approved by Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima, whose permission is required under Section 2307 of the Tariff and Customs Code of the Philippines, (TCCP).
She had written Biazon that former Customs Cebu district collector Edward dela Cuesta had already returned to his mother unit to assume his plantilla position in Manila in accordance with CPO No. 143-2013, which Purisima approved.
On the other hand, Collector Ricardo Belmonte, who was supposed to serve as OIC district collector in Cebu, has already started in his duties and responsibilities at the DOF.
In an Oct. 4 memorandum to Biazon, Purisima said that various CPO’s the latter issued were without his approval.
“We note that most of these orders undermine the mandate and purpose of CPO No. B-134-2013, ordering all personnel to return to their permanent plantilla positions,†said Purisima, whose memorandum was furnished to President Benigno Aquino III.
Purisima reiterated to Biazon that the Finance Secretary’s approval is a requirement with respect to the assignment of customs officers and employees, including the designation of OICs, or those in an acting capacity, as mandated under the TCCP.
It can be recalled that Biazon’s Sept. 25 Customs Personnel Order directing the reassignment of personnel to different ports in the country was disapproved by Purisima. (FREEMAN)