Customs Deputy Collector Ma. Lourdes Mangaoang appealed on Sunday to incoming Bureau of Customs (BOC) chief General Rey Leonardo Guerrero not to appoint military men as deputy commissioners.
Mangaoang issued the comment three days after President Rodrigo Duterte appointed Guerrero to be the next BOC chief following the transfer of Isidro Lapena to the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda).
According to Mangaoang, the positions of the deputy commissioners for assessment operations and collection monitoring group are not for the military.
“Pakiusap ko sa presidente at pakiusap ko sa kay incoming Commissioner Guerrero, wag naman po kayong maglagay ng military sa deputy commissioner ng assessment operations and collection monitoring group dahil iyan po ay very technical, dapat taga-loob yan,” Mangaoang said in a press conference.
(I am appealing to the president and to incoming Commissioner Guerrerro, please do not appoint military men as deputy commissioner of assessment operations and collection monitoring group because that role is very technical. It should be for people from the ranks.)
“Kasi ano naman po ang alam ng military sa assessment? Anong alam ng military sa trade facilitation? Yung collection monitoring group, dapat po diyan ay insider, at dapat ho diyan ay abogado dahil under ang legal service yan,” she said.
(What do military officers know about assessment or trade facilitation? The collection monitoring group needs an insider and a lawyer because the work involves legal services.)
Despite this, Mangaoang said that she has no issue with the appointment of Guerrero as the new BOC chief, saying that the incoming commissioner is very qualified for the position given his background in the military.
“I am very optimistic. I look forward to working with the incoming commissioner who is a retired military man,” she said. /ee
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