New customs collector takes post in Cebu amid ‘stop order’

New Cebu Customs Collector Charlito Martin Mendoza (INQUIRER PHOTO/DALE ISRAEL)

CEBU CITY — New Cebu customs collector Charlito Martin Mendoza has taken his post this week at the Port of Cebu but another customs official insisted that she was still the customs collector here.

Lawyer Elvira Cruz, who was replaced in April 2019, filed cases today at the Court of Appeals “to stop the order” replacing her as Customs Collector in Cebu.

She also filed separate cases at the Ombudsman, the Civil Service Commission, and another Manila court.

Her lawyer Zeus Librojo named the respondents in the case as Customs Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero, and Mendoza, among others.

Reassigned Customs Collector Elvira Cruz talks with lawyer Zeus Librojo about the case they filed. (INQUIRER PHOTO/DALE ISRAEL)

In January 10, 2019, Commissioner Guerrero issued a Customs Personnel Order (CPO) reassigning Cruz to the Collection Monitoring Unit in Manila and was replaced with OIC Customs Collector Lemuel Romero sometime in April.

Cruz appealed the reassignment with the Civil Service Commission.

On June 7, 2019, the CSC issued a directive suspending the re-assignment order, said Librojo in a press conference called by their camp today.

Librojo said the CSC directive stated that “pending appeal of such reassignment order, the reassignment shall not be executory.”

In a separate interview with Mendoza, he, however, said Cruz was no longer the collector since April and she was no longer party to the CPO assigning him as the new Customs collector.

“The CPO reassignment is between me and Romero only,” said Mendoza, who was also wondering what Cruz was doing in the Port of Cebu since she she had been replaced in April.

Mendoza, on the other hand, said operations at the BOC in Cebu was normal despite the issues raised by Cruz, who was no longer allowed inside the Customs Collector’s office since Monday.

The new Customs Collector said his marching orders here would be to fight corruption inside the Bureau.

“Another marching order is for them to never ever use the Port of Cebu as an entry point for illegal drugs. Never ever. At all cost,” said Mendoza. (Editor: Leti Boniol)