President Aquino has finally confirmed persistent rumors that Customs Commissioner Angelito Alvarez is on the way out, because he is “not happy” with his performance.
Mr. Aquino made the confirmation in a pre-recorded interview with RMN aired on Monday. He said, without naming names, that the incoming customs chief has accepted the job.
The President added, “I promised his replacement a little space. I will not identify him yet. As he said, this would be the last time he would enjoy a peaceful life. Give me a chance to honor my word. But I am not pleased [with Alvarez].”
Asked if the successor of Alvarez is a politician or from the private sector, the President said, “I think it is not different from what you think.”
Last week, former Rep. Rufino Biazon, who lost his senatorial bid under the Liberal Party banner last year, was reportedly being considered to replace Alvarez.
Mr. Aquino confirmed Alvarez’s departure a week after saying, through Presidential Spokesman Edwin Lacierda, that he was not aware of a resignation letter from Alvarez.
Calls for Alvarez’s resignation mounted following the disappearance of 1,910 container vans of goods estimated to have generated P3 billion in taxes for the government.
The President was also asked about reports that another defeated Liberal Party senatorial bet, former Party-list Rep. RizaHontiveros, would be appointed to the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration.
“It’s news to me,” he said.
The President is also expected to announce anytime the replacement of Tourism Secretary Alberto Lim, whose resignation takes effect on August 31.
The development on Alvarez caused confusion at the Department of Finance as it caught officials by surprise.
Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima, who had close ties with Alvarez when they were still with the private sector, has been mum and Alvarez could not be reached for comment.
“We are waiting for announcement from Malacañang. No formal paper work havebeen filed on the issue,” said a source from the department.
As for Biazon, when queried on the issue, he replied through his Facebook post during the weekend, “To all who have been greeting and congratulating me, I don’t want to appear as if I’m snubbing you but I can’t comment about the news. Let’s just wait for an official announcement, whatever it is.”
Early this year, the President became vocal about his displeasure over Alvarez’s failure to hit the agency’s target collections and to stop big-time smuggling.
The President reacted sharply to the smuggling of luxury vehicles through the Mindanao Container Terminal and the raid by the Bureau of Internal Revenue on the 168 Mall in Divisoria in January which was practically ignored by customs officials.
Early this month, calls for Alvarez’s resignation grew with Zambales First District Rep. Mitos Magsaysay on the forefront. She used the issue of the missing container vans.
Alvarez had called the calls for his resignation unfair, saying it was he who uncovered the anomaly which he promptly ordered investigated; charges have, in fact, been filed.
Alvarez also said the government only lost around P229.2 million in taxes from the missing containers and not billions as the legislators claimed.
On collections, he said the bureau posted P149.84 billion for January to July, or a shortfall of more than P20 billion, compared with its P170.07-billion target for the period.
He earlier said the shortfall was out of the bureau’s hands because nearly 2,000 products that until June last year were considered traditional big revenue sources now come in duty-free or with reduced tariff as a result of various free-trade agreements and the government’s social amelioration initiatives. (Mia Gonzalez andVG Cabuag)
