Lawmakers in the House of Representatives questioned the use by the Bureau of Customs (BOC) of basketball and volleyball players, who played for the BOC鈥檚 team, as technical assistants and intelligence officers.
House members took issue with the BOC鈥檚 use of basketball players as employees, even though beleaguered customs commissioner Nicanor Faeldon in a strongly worded statement called some House members鈥� alleged endorsement of favored officials as corruption.
搁贰础顿:听Shame on you, Faeldon slams corrupt solons
Deputy Speaker and Batangas Rep. Raneo Abu said Faeldon had no ascendancy to criticize the lower House of corruption when his bureau also had its own share of endorsement of favored personalities.
鈥淗uwag tayo magsalita na para pang itong institusyon namin dito na ang mga tao dito ay corrupt, at 鈥榶ung pageendorso mo ay form of corruption. Ito ang tanong ko, 鈥榶ung pangggugulang mo sa isang ganoong klaseng maliit na liga, hindi ba 鈥榶un form of corruption?鈥� Abu said in an ambush interview with reporters.
(Let鈥檚 not talks about our institution as if it were filled with corrupt people, and that your endorsement is a form of corruption. My question is, your participation in that minor league, is that not a form of corruption?)
Quirino Rep. Dakila Cua, who chairs the House ways and means committee, also slammed Faeldon鈥檚 ascendancy to criticize the lower House of corruption, adding his criticism is not 鈥渇air.鈥�
鈥淪a tingin ko kasi masakit lang na binabanatan niya ang mga kongresista as a whole. Pinaparatangan nila kami鈥� Ang mga players, hindi naman kongresman ang nagendorse doon sa mga 鈥榶un o nag-rekomenda. Sariling hire naman iyun at saka nandun pa sila hanggang ngayon. Hindi naman ata fair,鈥� Cua said.
(I just feel slighted that he is criticizing congressmen as a whole. He鈥檚 accusing us. But those players were not endorsed or recommended by politicians. They were hired by the agency and they are still there up to now. That鈥檚 not fair.)
Cua called the hiring of professional basketball players as a 鈥渕isappropriation or misuse of government funds.鈥�
Surigao Del Sur Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, who chairs the dangerous drugs committee that investigated the alleged smuggling of P6 billion shabu through the BOC鈥檚 green lane, slammed Faeldon鈥檚 鈥渉ypocrisy.鈥�
READ: Fit for the job? Solon wants probe on athletes employed by BOC
鈥淟ook who鈥檚 talking! Faeldon tarnished the reputation of the entire House of Representatives by insinuating that lawmakers are endorsing promotions or employment to the bureau of certain personnel. Yet, it turned out he has employed sports people with dubious qualifications for their position,鈥� Barbers said.
Faeldon鈥檚 tiff with the House started when his chief of staff Mandy Anderson called Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez an 鈥渋mbecile,鈥� apparently prompted by the Speaker鈥檚 supposed lobbying of a certain Sandy Sacluti for a promotion in the BOC. The Speaker denied there was anything wrong with his endorsement, adding that Sacluti was overqualified.
搁贰础顿:听Speaker denies 鈥榩adrino鈥� in lobbying for 鈥榦verqualified鈥� Customs official聽
Faced with mounting calls from Alvarez鈥檚 allies for him to resign, Faeldon shot back at influence-peddling House members who allegedly pressured the bureau to promote favored employees.
搁贰础顿:听Faeldon apologizes for influence-peddling claim but stands his ground
Barbers turned the tables on Faeldon, chiding the commissioner for not promoting Sacluti despite the latter鈥檚 Master鈥檚 degree, while hiring basketball and volleyball players to work for the bureau.
鈥淵et, Faeldon hired basketball and volleyball players to work at the Intelligence Group of the bureau. How many of these people are really qualified for intelligence work? No wonder, Customs bungled the handling of evidence in the seizure of the P6.4 billion worth of shabu smuggled right though their noses,鈥� Barbers said.
搁贰础顿:听Suspended exec says BOC ignored warning on drug shipment聽
According to Customs Special Order No. 38-2016 furnished to lawmakers, Atty. Anderson was authorized by Faeldon to sign the daily time record of聽former PBA stars Kenneth Duremdes, Marlou Aquino, and Edward Joseph 鈥淓J鈥� Feihl, among others, as well as volleyball player Alyssa Valdez. IDL