Senators want Custom chief to name persons behind his resignation
SENATORS urged Customs Commissioner John Phillip Sevilla on Thursday to identify politicians or influential persons who pressured him into resigning from his post.
Sevilla reportedly cited political pressures when he resigned Wednesday. He was also quoted saying that he resigned “because I’m not a political person.”
READ: https://business.inquirer.net/190693/customs-chief-sevilla-resigns
“Commissioner Sevilla is a great loss to the government. Yes, he should name the politicians or groups who put pressure on him,” Senate President Franklin Drilon said in a text message when asked if Sevilla should identify the people exerting pressures on him.
Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. said Sevilla should tell all, saying the reason behind his resignation might warrant an investigation by the Department of Justice (DOJ).
“Nakakagulat din dyan. Kung sino man ang nagpe-pressure sa kanya sabihin na nya,” Marcos said in a phone patch interview with Senate reporters.
“Nag-resign na rin naman sya e di might as well sabihin nya para hindi na maulit itong ganitong political pressure na kanyang sinasabi,” he said.
“Nabuksan na rin nya yung issue ng may nagpe-pressure sa kanya e di ipagpatuloy na nya at sabihin na nya lahat. Who are the people involved and what were they pressuring him to do?”
Marcos then expressed his openness for a possible investigation by either Congress or the executive, especially the DOJ, on the matter.
“Well I think that would not be a bad thing that there should be at least an investigation to that. And they should be asked as much as possible na ibigay na yung mga pangalan na yun because exerting that kind of pressure…it’s illegal… kasi palagay ko kung sinasabing pressure e, illegal ang pinagagawa sa kanya. That would be important for the DOJ to investigate para malaman kung ano ba talaga ang nangyayari dyan,” he added.
Senator Bam Aquino, meanwhile, described Sevilla’s resignation “unfortunate.”
“The government lost an outstanding public servant with the resignation of Bureau of Customs Commissioner John Phillip P. Sevilla,” Aquino said in a statement.
“His resignation is unfortunate since we are seeing the fruits of the reforms that he started within the agency, especially against smuggling and collection efficiency,” he said.
Aquino said it is imperative that the next commissioner should continue the reforms initiated by Sevilla.
“Let us fast track the passage of the Customs and Tariff Modernization Act to modernize and systematize the processes, making it more efficient and transparent,” the senator added. AC
