Customs Commissioner Angelito Alvarez on Monday reshuffled the agency’s Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service (CIIS) in a move interpreted by some quarters as an indication he may not be on the way out after all, as had been rumored.
The shake-up will affect top regional, district and subport level officials nationwide.
Talk in the agency yesterday was that Alvarez was given a six-month extension or until the end of the year; Alvarez wouldn’t comment on it. Malacañang dismissed the talk as “speculation.”
Still, observers said Alvarez could not have carried out the shakeup if he was on the way out. “Officials who are about to be relieved are certainly not authorized to carry out sensitive assignments such as reshuffles,” one observer said.
Alvarez said the reshuffle was part of the efforts of the agency preclude “fraternization” of BOC personnel with port users, which, he said, may lead to corrupt practices.
Acting Deputy Commissioner for Intelligence Filomeno Vicencio Jr., however, will remain the head of CIIS, an office assigned to collect, collate and evaluate data on acts of economic sabotage, as well as the conduct of surveillance, investigation and apprehension of cases involving violations of customs, tariff laws and regulations.
Given new assignments were Liceo Martinez as officer in charge for the Visayas region, Oswaldo Geli for the Mindanao and Rolando Sacramento for Southern Luzon.
Over at the country’s two premier ports, Marissa Rae Galang was designated OIC for the Manila International Container Port, while Bienvenido Rubio took over Galang’s old CIIS post at the Port of Manila.
The rotation also affected Manolo Arevalo who was shifted from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport to the Port of Cebu; Rico Rey Francis Holganza from the Port of Cebu to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport; Ernesto Aguirrechea from the Shipside and Outside CY/CFS (container yard/container freight station) unit to the Port of Batangas and its sub-ports; Aris de Guzman from the Port of Subic and Limay to the Shipside and Outside CY/CFS unit; Alexander Atienza from the Port of Batangas, Legaspi and its sub-ports to the Port of Limay and its subports;
Javier Alpano from the Visayas region office to the Port of Subic; Carmelita Valeroso from the Operations Section of the Investigation Division to the Peza (Philippine Economic Zone Authority) in Cavite and Laguna; Danilo Umacob Jr. from the Peza in Cavite and Laguna to the Port of Clark; Alvin Enciso from the CIIS Investigation Division to head of the CIIS Postal Office; and Willie Sarmiento from the Office of the Director to the Post-Entry Audit Group.
In the same order, Alvarez also relieved Nemesio Magno Jr. of his other responsibilities as acting assistant chief of the Investigation and Prosecution Division so he could focus on his main job as Vicencio’s chief of staff and assigned Eric Albano as head of Special Operations and assistant chief of the Intelligence Division in a concurrent capacity.
