Danilo Lim resigns from BOC after Aquino’s Sona rebuke

Deputy Customs Commissioner for Intelligence Danilo Lim. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—Customs Deputy Commissioner for Intelligence Danilo Lim resigned from his post a day after President Aquino admonished the Bureau of Customs during his annual address to the nation.

“I congratulate the President on a well-received State of the Nation Address. As a member of his official family, I am privy to the truths that ring out in his speech and am profoundly moved. It is in this spirit that I tendered my resignation as Deputy Commissioner for Intelligence of the Bureau of Customs,” Lim said in a statement.

He said he agreed with the President’s SONA observation that the BOC has not performed in accordance with the expectations of the people.

“The apprehension of smugglers as well as the guaranteeing of correct collections are continuing activities that need as much attention as the job of instituting reforms—a virtual guarantee that the latter activity will take time, much more time than the public would be willing to give us.  In view of this, I see no other recourse but to leave this office,” he added.

In an interview, Lim said that right after hearing the President’s speech, he immediately wrote his letter of resignation, which he submitted to the Office of the Executive Secretary Tuesday.

He said he had not received any response yet from Malacañang regarding his decision.

“We cannot just leave our post without the response of the appointing authority. We have to wait until he says that you can already leave,” he added.

He said in his statement that in the 22 months that he served in the government, he was very proud of his accomplishments, including “the seizures of smuggled items in record breaking numbers, the institutional changes I had installed, albeit in small steps and the stricter policing of personnel in my division.”

“Though small compared to the Herculean tasks of cleaning these Augean stables, they are no less lasting and significant achievements. Nevertheless, during my tenure, Secretary Pacquito Ochoa will attest that I had asked to be relieved of my duties no less than six times, and in all those times have been told to wait for vacancies and possible transfer to other agencies,” he added.—With a report from Tetch Torres-Tupas

 Originally posted at 10:20 p.m. | July 23, 2013