ANNIVERSARY
MANILA,
FEBRUARY 7, 2012 (INQUIRER) By Christine
O. Avendaño - It's like he's being slapped in the face.
This was President's Aquino's angry reaction to the continuing corruption at
the Bureau of Customs, headed by Rozzano Rufino Biazon.
Apologizing early on to those who may be offended by what he would say,
President Aquino expressed his displeasure over the horror stories of corruption
involving the bureau and its personnel during his speech at its 110th founding
anniversary on Monday.
The President cited several cases, including a Porsche-driving Customs clerk
who was now facing administrative charges for firing a gun at two students and
beating them up following a traffic altercation.
"It's a kind of mentality that he's better than the rest, isn't it?" the
Chief Executive said in his speech.
Malacañang has ordered the Customs clerk's dismissal as a result of the
incident.
The President also cited the case of someone he knew whose aide ended up
waiting for some six hours for the release of a package held at the Post Office
just because he was not able to treat the employees there to merienda (snacks).
Aquino narrated that two weeks ago his friend sent his aide to pick up a
package at the post office but employees there asked if they would be treated to
merienda.
"The merienda even had a price—P2,500," he said, adding that the aide ended
up waiting for the package to be released at 3 p.m. since he got there at 9 a.m.
The President also mentioned someone who he said had bragged that his watch
was worth millions of pesos. When this person was asked what his job was, he
answered that he was "one of the biggest rice and sugar smugglers in the
country."
He said stories like these were a slap in his face.
"I can take being slapped for the sake of the country but what I find
unacceptable is for the needs of the people to be slapped. They trample on the
people who gave them the opportunity to serve them. That can't be," he said.
The President appealed to the bureau to help fix the system as he vowed to
fix its state.
"Do the right thing and the government will also do the right thing for you,"
he said.
To curb corruption in the bureaucracy, the President said that Finance
Secretary Cesar Purisima and Budget Secretary Florencio Abad were completing a
plan to provide a productivity incentive bonus for employees in government
agencies who are performing well.
Porsche-driving Customs clerk probed By Jocelyn R.
Uy Philippine Daily Inquirer
MANILA, Philippines—A clerk of the Bureau of Customs is in hot water after
beating up a student following a recent traffic altercation along the Southern
Luzon Expressway while driving a white Porsche.
Customs Chief Ruffy Biazon has given the erring BOC employee, identified as
Paulino Elevado, until Tuesday to report to him personally.
If Elevado fails to appear on Tuesday, he will be declared absent without
leave, which can result in his dismissal and the forfeiture of his benefits.
"I will give him until Tuesday and if he fails to appear, we would initiate
the proceedings for declaring him Awol," Biazon told reporters Friday.
The Customs chief said Elevado needed to shed light on the incident that
occurred on Southern Luzon Expressway, where the latter allegedly beat up a
student following a traffic altercation. But Elevado has not been reporting to
work since Jan. 23 or 24, following the incident, said Biazon.
Elevado will be in deeper trouble if investigation shows that he owns the
Porsche he was driving during the incident.
Biazon on Friday wondered how Elevado, who has been working at the BOC as an
administrative aide for roughly a decade with a monthly income of over P9,000,
could afford a luxury vehicle.
"I pulled out his records … his SALN (statement of assets, liabilities and
net worth) is clean, which means there is little entry. That's why I am doubting
how he can have a Porsche, although it was registered under a different person,"
he told reporters.
Chief News Editor: Sol Jose Vanzi
© Copyright, 2012 by PHILIPPINE HEADLINE NEWS ONLINE
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