DEPUTY Collector Lourdes Mangaoang is the new acting Customs Collector of Cebu.
Mangaoang took over after then acting Customs Collector Paul S. Alcazaren vacated the post yesterday.
The staff of Alcazaren removed his table, chair, and even his glass name plate for his office. These were brought to his office at the sub-port of Mactan.
“It is stated at Section 703 that the commissioner of customs may assign Customs officers and employees to other duties, but this must be with the approval of the Secretary of Finance,” Mangaoang said to prove that she is the legitimate OIC.
Alcazaren was one of the 17 officers-in-charge appointed by Customs Commissioner Rufino Biazon last Sept. 30 to take over Customs offices in 17 ports.
Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima, however, disapproved the appointment.
Secretary Purisima released a memorandum on Oct. 4 disapproving the Customs Personnel Order (CPOs) including that of Biazon’s officers-in-charge appointments.
Last Oct. 8, Mangaoang presented the disapproved CPO and claimed that she is the legitimate OIC of the Bureau of Customs port of Cebu.
Last Friday, Commissioner Biazon affirmed Mangaoang as the Customs OIC for the Port of Cebu.
Mangaoang said that she is also the most senior ranked official in the Customs office in the port of Cebu. She is ranked Collector V.
Collector Ricardo Belmonte was earlier designated to head the Cebu Customs office, but he was transferred to the Customs Policy Research Office under the Department of Finance. Belmonte is ranked Collector VI,
As stated at Section 707 of the Customs Code, in the absence of a collector at any port or in the case of a vacancy in his office, the temporary discharge shall devolve upon the Deputy Collector of the Port. /Correspondent Michelle Joy L. Padayhag