President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday said he never ordered the military to take over the functions of Bureau of Customs (BOC) personnel.
Duterte claimed that he called for military intervention merely to assist BOC personnel as he had placed heads of offices and sections within the bureau on floating status.
“When I called in the Army, the Bureau of Customs, there was no designation, there was no appointment, and there was never an instruction for them to take over the functions of the employees,” Duterte said during his lecture with Cabinet officials on militarization and drugs.
READ: All personnel on floating status as BOC put under military control
“Ang ginawa ko is just really to order them on floating status. But that was a particular order directed for chiefs of offices and section chiefs. Iyong mga assistant nila ang magta-trabaho (Their assistants will work on it),’ he stressed.
In his speech during the thanksgiving party of former Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano in Davao City, Duterte announced that the military would run the corruption-hit bureau while all of its employees were on floating status.
READ: Duterte puts Customs under military control
“It will be a takeover of the Armed Forces in the matter of operating, in the meantime, while we are sorting out how to effectively meet the challenges of corruption in this country,” he said.
Duterte’s directive was heavily criticized by lawmakers who claimed that it was unconstitutional and contrary to the state policy of civilian supremacy. /ee
READ: Senators question legality of putting BOC under military control