Lapeña says NBI case vs him for missing tiles is ‘unclear’

“It is unclear to me why would the (National Bureau of Investigation) NBI find negligence on my part.”

This was how former Customs Commissioner Isidro Lapeña reacted after the NBI filed a graft and corruption complaint against him in connection with the disappearance of 105 container vans loaded with ceramic tiles at the Bureau of Customs (BOC) last March.

Last Monday, the NBI filed a 35-page complaint before the Department of Justice which accused Lapeña of violating the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, Republic Act No. 3019.

READ: Lapeña faces graft and corruption case over missing tiles

Lapeña said the NBI concluded their probe on the missing container vans but failed to ask for his statement.

“It is unfortunate that the NBI concluded its investigations on the case of 105 illegally released containers from the Port of Manila without getting any statements from me,” he said in a statement.

He added the NBI was not able to “unmask the real people” behind the disappearance of the reportedly illegally released container vans.

Lapeña lamented that he was the one who alerted about the missing container vans saying he issued 22 alert orders.

“I would like to stress that if not for the 22 alert orders I issued against the subject shipments totaling 119 containers in all, the unlawful release of the 105 would not have been discovered,” he said. “It was under my watch that we discovered 105 containers illegally released from the terminal through the use of fake documents.”

He added that he filed criminal complaints against 53 personalities involved in the disappearance of the container vans.

“In fact, I have filed criminal cases against 53 involved personalities and I referred to [Presidential Anti-Crime Commission] the observe relevant procedures that led to the unauthorized release of the said shipments,” he said.

Lapeña said he “leaves the development of the case” to the Department of Justice.

Last March 17, the Office of the District Collector found that the 105 container vans were illegally released without clearance.

The container vans were later found in several warehouses in Bulacan. /muf