Senator Imee Marcos (Joseph Vidal / Senate PRIB)
MANILA, Philippines — Give the Senate a little respect, Senator Imee Marcos told the Bureau of Customs (BoC) as its head was a no-show at a Senate hearing on Monday.
During the Senate committee on agriculture hearing, Marcos asked why BoC Commissioner Yogi Filemon Ruiz was always absent in all its hearings.
Assistant Commissioner Vincent Maronilla represented the BoC as the committee headed by Senator Cynthia Villar probed the high prices of onions in the country.
According to Maronilla, Ruiz could not attend the hearing as he was attending a coordination meeting following the apprehension of a vessel loaded with sugar in Batangas.
“Daan-daan naman ang empleyado ng Customs. Galangin naman ng konti yung Senado,” Marcos then said.
(There are hundreds of Customs employees. Let’s give the Senate a little respect.)
“Pumunta naman yung Customs Commissioner. Kung sino-sino pinapadala dito tapos turuan ng turuan kasalanan na ngayon ng Coast Guard at na-convert na yung smuggling to piracy in the high seas,” she said.
(The Customs Commissioner should come. You are just sending anybody who keeps on pointing at each other and now [they] blame the Coast Guard because smuggling has been converted into piracy in the high seas.)
Even before the committee suspended the hearing, Marcos reminded the BoC to ensure the Commissioner would attend the next hearings in the Senate.
Villar backed Marcos.
“You assure us of that, hijo,” the panel head said, “You promise us, promise?”
Maronilla said he would relay this to the Commissioner.