(Eagle News) – Newly installed commissioner of the Bureau of Customs, Isidro Lapeña, has abolished the bureau’s Command Center which was created by his predecessor Nicanor Faeldon to issue alert orders for incoming shipments at the customs bureau.
Lapeña, through Customs Memorandum Order No. 14-2017, abolished Comcen saying that this creation was not mandated by law.
The order “reverted to the deputy commissioners of the Intelligence Group, Enforcement Group, and all district collectors nationwide the authority to issue alert orders.”
Lapeña signed the order on Thursday, August 31, and announced the abolition of Comcen on Monday’s flag raising ceremony held at the Port of Manila which was attended by bureau officials and employees.
“This is my way of showing my full trust and confidence to the officers and men of the bureau,” Lapeña said.
“I am not here to pass judgment. I do not care about the past, I do not mind the various issues thrown to the bureau and the reports that I received, but I am here to institute changes, changes that would help regain public trust and confidence to the bureau,” he said.
Lapeña also called on the BOC employees to help him “reform the bureau.”
“Help me in my mission to liberate the bureau from the clutches of corruption and hit its collection target as ordered by the President,” he said.
Faeldon created the Comcen to be under his office and was tasked to provide him “intelligence data from all collection districts of the bureau.”
Faeldon before centralized the issuance of alert orders to the office of the Commissioner through Customs Special Order (CS) 45-2016 which created the Command Center.
Congressmen had earlier questioned the creation of the Command Center during a House hearing on the P6.4 billion shabu shipment that had passed unnoticed at the Bureau of Customs.
They doubted the Comcen’s capability and efficiency and pointed out that this new system instituted by Faeldon even facilitated the movement of contraband shipments.