Newly-appointed CIIS Director Verne Enciso took his oath of office before Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin on Thursday. (Photo courtesy of BOC)
MANILA, Philippines—President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has appointed the former Bureau of Customs (BOC) intel chief at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) as the director of the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service (CIIS).
In a statement released on Thursday, the BOC confirmed that Verne Enciso, the acting CIIS director, has been named as the CIIS chief. Photos from BOC also showed Enciso taking his oath before Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin.
Enciso’s appointment papers were signed by Marcos on June 5.
Prior to his new assignment, Enciso was designated by BOC Commissioner Bienvenido Rubio as the CIIS acting director. He has previously served as the CIIS Station Chief of Naia and as Special Assistant to Intelligence Deputy Commissioner Juvymax Uy.
Enciso has been a part of the BOC for over 17 years.
Enciso gained attention recently when the BOC conducted several high-profile raids, with the CIIS providing valuable information for various operations. These include the discovery of P1.4 billion worth of smuggled cigarettes in Sulu and the interception of agricultural products, such as onions, believed to be lacking proper documentation.
READ: P1.4-B worth of smuggled cigarettes discovered in Sulu — BOC
READ: BOC seizes over P101 million worth of smuggled onions, agri products
Several operations against drug smuggling were also successfully conducted with the assistance of the CIIS.
READ: Turkish national yields P28.85 million worth of cocaine at Naia
Meanwhile, Enciso assured the administration that the CIIS would support the programs set by the commissioner, including the modernization and digitalization efforts aimed at transforming the office.
“These advancements aim to facilitate the delivery of ‘highly credible, confidential, and timely intelligence reports’ that customs can rely on and utilize for efficient and effective security enforcement, apprehension, and profiling,” he said in a statement.