CA JUSTICE NAMED TO SC / NEW BOC CHIEF VOWS TRANSPARENCY, ACCOUNTABILTY
MANILA, SEPTEMBER 17, 2011 (STAR) By Delon Porcalla - Court of Appeals Justice Estella Perlas Bernabe hails from Plaridel town in Bulacan province and is married to Ricardo Bernabe, also a lawyer, with whom she has two children, Ericia and Ricardo III. | Zoom MANILA, Philippines - President Aquino yesterday appointed Court of Appeals (CA) Justice Estella Perlas Bernabe as an associate justice of the Supreme Court.
Bernabe was the third associate justice appointed by Aquino to the 15-member bench after Justices Ma. Lourdes Aranal-Sereno, appointed in Aug last year and Bienvenido Reyes, appointed last month.
"We congratulate Justice Bernabe for her appointment as the new associate justice of the SC," presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said in a press briefing.
The 12 other magistrates were appointed by former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
Justices Reyes and Bernabe replaced justices Eduardo Antonio Nachura and Conchita Carpio-Morales, respectively. Both retired from service last June, when they reached the mandatory retirement age of 70.
Morales was appointed Ombudsman, in place of Merceditas Gutierrez, who resigned on May 6.
Bernabe completed her law degree from the Ateneo de Manila University College of Law, in 1976 graduating salutatorian. After passing the bar, she worked as technical assistant in the office of then Justice Lorenzo Relova.
From 1978 to 1993, she engaged in private legal practice, working for China Banking Corp., Paramount Finance Corp., and NHMFC. She later
became a senior partner in Bernabe Perlas Morte & Associates from 1993 to 1996.
In 1996, she returned to the judiciary after being appointed Metropolitan Trial Court judge of the Makati City, Branch 66. In 2000, she was promoted to Regional Trial Court, Makati City, Branch 142. She was promoted to the CA on March 15, 2004.
Bernabe has been teaching Practice Court and Evidence at the Ateneo College of Law since 2009. Among her numerous awards are the Court of Appeals' Award for Exemplary Performance, CA Award of Recognition for Outstanding Performance in Case Disposition; Best Written Decision-Municipal/Metropolitan Trial Court from the Philippine Women Judges Association; Natatanging Babaeng Hukom-Municipality of Plaridel, Bulacan; and Gawad Parangal 2008 as Outstanding Alumna for Dedicated Service to Country and People-St. Paul University Manila, where she earned her bachelor of science in commerce major in banking and finance graduating cum laude.
She was also the Bar examiner in Mercantile Law in 2007. - with Edu Punay
New Customs chief vows transparency, accountability By Delon Porcalla (The Philippine Star) Updated September 17, 2011 12:00 AM Comments (2)
MANILA, Philippines - Newly appointed Customs Commissioner Rufino Biazon yesterday vowed to adopt a new and different approach in cleaning up the graft-ridden Bureau of Customs (BOC).
In a press briefing at Malacañang, where he took oath before President Arroyo, the former Muntinlupa congressman told reporters he would instill transparency and accountability in running the office.
"The first thing I would do is to promote transparency and accountability for every worker by opening the line of communication. In this way, we could set up a system where we could see the public response and feedback," Biazon told reporters after the President swore him in.
Biazon also wanted to implement a mechanism where the public can directly report smuggling.
He believes his experience as a former legislator helped train him for the job.
"Because one of the primary tasks of the commissioner is to oversee the functions and operations of each and every department within the bureau. So I'm (using) that experience (as congressman) to do this job," he added.
Biazon, the son of former senator now Muntinlupa Rep. Rodolfo Biazon, said his track record as a no-nonsense and clean lawmaker will speak for itself.
"The first defense against corruption should be upon the strength and character of the leader… so in my case I could hold out against those who are trying to influence and corrupt the system," he said.
Biazon said Aquino's marching orders were crystal clear – implement the law and curb smuggling, and in the process raise the much-needed revenues that the government needs to keep the economy afloat.
Biazon said he just gives a smile to people who question his competence and qualification for the job, particularly because he is neither an accountant nor a lawyer, but a medical technology graduate.
"I take it with a smile," he said. "You know when I joined Congress, they asked me how would I make it as a congressman since I am not a lawyer. But a few months or a few years down the line, they suddenly asked me if I am a lawyer," he related.
"Again, my experience in Congress, I think has prepared me enough," Biazon said.
Biazon said he has a plan in curbing well-entrenched corruption in the agency and meet its revenue collection goal.
"It is my commitment to the President to find the loopholes in the agency and plug them, then run after those that used those plugholes and have them prosecuted," he said.
He said that transshipment is one of the main issues he will address to prevent a repeat of what happened during the term of his predecessor Angelito Alvarez.
"There had been proposals to do electronic tracking, we are studying the GPS system... but there are other technologies we can use. Another measure is to immediately impose duties on those imports (while on) transshipment," he said.
Biazon said first in his agenda is to review the performance of Customs personnel and conduct lifestyle checks. He said he would also instruct the bureau's intelligence arm to identify those who are engaged in smuggling, and build and file cases against them.
"I have to rely on an official output coming from my own agency," Biazon said.
'The intelligence arm of the BOC should produce the list of suspected smugglers. Otherwise, it would mean a failure of intelligence on their part that would also mean they would be accountable. I will hold those intelligence personnel accountable," he warned.
On the 2011 revenue collection goal, Biazon admitted it might be difficult to achieve it since the BOC had failed to meet its monthly targets earlier in the year.
"We're already behind. We're expecting some revenues to come in the last quarter of the year but we're also facing a leadership change," he said.
"Businessmen may have a wait and see attitude. The prospects of recovering from that deficit appear to be dim right now, but we will try our best to cover that."
The BOC was tasked to collect P320 billion in revenues this year. Alvarez had said the agency might collect only P295 billion because of tariff reductions and the depreciation of the peso against the dollar.
'Teamwork'
Cagayan Rep. Jack Enrile vouched for Biazon, hailing his former lawmaker colleague as the "right choice" for Customs commissioner.
Enrile described Biazon as "very honest, very humble, very intelligent and full of integrity."
On the other hand, BOC employees described their for- mer boss as a workaholic and believes in teamwork.
Jenny de Leon-Cruz, who has served as Alvarez's executive assistant for the last 15 years, said the 2x3 feet "Teamwork" frame has been with Alvarez since he was president and chief executive officer of FedEx Philippines.
"He has brought that frame with him everywhere he goes. The frame was already there even before I worked for him. It was hanging on his wall when he was the president of FedEx. We changed rooms four times and every time, he took it with him," Cruz said.
She said the frame reflected Alvarez's belief that goals can be achieved through teamwork.
"Teamwork is essential in any organization and not through individual contribution," she added.
Alvarez left his office late Thursday. His last instructions to Cruz was: "Don't forget my frame."
The frame read: "Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision. The ability to direct individual accomplishment toward organizational objectives. It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results."
Cruz described her former boss as a "very good man and well loved by the private sector."
Alvarez has been with the private sector for 30 years before he answered the call to serve in government last July 7, 2010 as BOC commissioner. – With Evelyn Macairan, Eva Visperas
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