(Eagle News) — Pass a law replacing the Bureau of Customs, and file the necessary charges against individuals.
These were some of the recommendations of the House committee on dangerous drugs, which wrapped up its inquiry into the P6.4-billion shabu shipment that entered the country via Customs express lanes.
According to the committee, the “new revenue collection agency or instrumentality of government” that will replace the BoC should have a “different system of collection to avoid corruption and increase revenue collection.”
“A system may include fixing a one-time payment of import/export fees that would include duties/tax, storage, warehousing, arrastre services, and all expenses relative to importation/exportation,” the committee report said.
The committee also recommended all officers of the bureau including deputy commissioners, port collectors and heads of office to “take a leave of absence or be replaced immediately in accordance with the law to give way to proper reform and to an investigation into the corruption issue.”
It also recommended the filing of graft and corruption charges against former Commissioner Nicanor Faeldon, for, among others, “failing to coordinate with the (Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency) prior to and during” the anti-drug operation in the Valenzuela warehouse that saw the seizure of the drug shipment, and for “engaging the services of and causing the fat compensation to basketball and volleyball players” employed at the BoC.
Also recommended for prosecution were Customs Director Niel Estrella, Deputy Commissioner Gerardo Gambala, Director Milo Maestrecampo, Atty. Mandy Anderson, and Customs agents Joel Pinawin, Oliver Valiente and the “other BoC agents who delivered the 100 kilograms of shabu to Fidel Anoche Dee.”
The committee also recommended that charges be filed against Atty. Dennis Sylhan, Atty. Catherine Nolasco, and other National Bureau of Investigation agents involved in the investigation for “failing to turn over custody” of the drugs to PDEA, among others.
Richard Chen of Hong Fei Logistics, alleged middleman Kenneth Dong, fixer Mark Taguba, TJ Villaflor, and Manny Li were also recommended for prosecution.