BACOLOD CITY, Philippines—Negros Occidental Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr. and sugar industry leaders here welcomed President Benigno Aquino’s decision to replace Customs Commissioner Angelito Alvarez and hoped his replacement will put an end to sugar smuggling.
Marañon said the change of the Bureau of Customs chief “is good.”
“Hopefully, it will put a stop to sugar smuggling, but it will depend on whoever takes over,” he said Thursday.
The governor disclosed that Aquino had promised sugar industry leaders as early as March that he would have Alvarez replaced.
The President met with government and industry leaders here five months ago for a briefing on the economic outlook of the country, multisectoral consultations and the distribution of health, livelihood, housing and land assistance to thousands of Negrenses.
Manuel Lamata, president of the United Sugar Producers Federation of the Philippines, said sugar industry leaders had complained to Aquino about the failure of the BOC to stop sugar smuggling.
Lamata said that aside from the sugar industry, it appeared that there were numerous other industries also complaining about the poor performance of the BOC.
“If the new Customs chief fails to act on sugar smuggling, we will complain again to the President,” Lamata said.
Enrique Rojas, president of the National Federation of the Sugarcane Planters, said that during March meeting, he complained to Aquino that sugar smuggling was happening right under the nose of Alvarez because the customs collectors responsible for allowing it since the term of president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo had not been replaced.
“Even way back last March when the President was in Bacolod, I asked him personally to change the Customs collectors in major ports identified as hotspots for smuggling because these are the same people who were behind smuggling during the previous administration,” Rojas said.
Shipments of smuggled sugar were being misdeclared so they could enter the country, Rojas said. While smuggled sugar has been seized, no one has been jailed, he added.
“The President told me in March that Alvarez was a good person but he could not control the people in Customs. And he would replace him as soon as the person he was eyeing for the job would say yes,” Rojas said.
“Hopefully, the President will appoint a new Customs chief who has leadership and guts and who is willing to help the sugar industry put a stop to smuggling,” he said.
Others, on the other hand, expressed appreciation for Alvarez.
“I pray for the best for our country. Alvarez was helpful to the sugar industry. We had easy access to him. However, I regret, smuggling was not totally eradicated,” said Sugar Regulatory Administration chief Ma. Regina Bautista Martin.
“BOC commissioner Alvarez has greatly helped the sugar industry by his seizure of smuggled sugar and we thank him for that. Sadly, he will not be around when the VCRC (Valuation and Classification Review Committee) decides government’s case against Coke’s mis-classified and mis-declared premix imports,” said Raymond Montinola, chairman of the Confederation of Sugar Producers Associations – Negros Panay Chapter.
But Montinola added that he believed the Aquino administration “is focused on a good and corruption-free governance.”
“That is why we are confident of a decision favorable to the country and for the sugar industry,” he said.