By BETHEENA KAE UNITE
A day after getting President Duterte’s backing, Customs Commissioner Nicanor Faeldon lambasted government officials for meddling in the promotion of Bureau of Customs (BoC) employees.
“Shame on you. Shame on you,” said Faeldon who is at the center of the House probe on the P6.4 billion shipment of shabu. “They want me to influence the promotion board so that their people here be promoted and I will tell them right in their face, I will never be able to influence the promotion board. Why? Because that is a form of corruption,” Faeldon said.
Faeldon met the press yesterday after getting a vote of confidence from Duterte Tuesday.
He said the President’s marching order is to continue transforming the bureau and stop any form of corruption.
He also disclosed that he receives “many and reasonable” calls from various government officials asking favor to promote someone they know in the bureau.
“Stop it! This is not your property. This is the country’s Bureau of Customs. This is the Filipino people’s Bureau of Customs. So don’t act as if you own this.”
Faeldon declined to name names of officials trying to lobby for certain BoC employees.
“Sila na lang ang mag-commissioner. I’m the one being blamed for lousiness here but they were the ones putting lousy people in this bureau,” Faeldon added.
He also said that there are still companies who ask him to be easy on certain shipments in order to avoid paying dues.
Lawmakers had asked Faeldon to step down as Customs Commissioner. Faeldon, however, stood firm, saying only the President can fire him.
He said the issue of resignation was not even discussed during his meeting with the President.
“The President doesn’t mind to much. He is aware but it was not discuss. He only told me to continue serving the country well and stop corruption,” Faeldon said.