Biazon’s Christmas wish: Peace and quiet

Outgoing Customs Commissioner Ruffy Biazon: Peace and quiet JOAN BONDOC

MANILA, Philippines—“Peace and quiet lang.”

This is outgoing Customs Commissioner Ruffy Biazon’s Christmas wish for himself.

“They’re important to me because if I’m at peace, I’m able to do the relevant things in my professional life as well as my personal life,” he said.

“When there are controversies and if I’m bothered by them, I might become hot-tempered and then my quality time with my family will suffer,” he explained.

Last Monday, Biazon, a close ally and friend of President Aquino, filed his irrevocable resignation after he was linked to the multibillion-peso pork barrel scam.

He said he was quitting to prevent the controversy from being used against the President and to protect his family, particularly his children.

‘Too young’

“The intense discussion in media may be too much for them to endure. They are too young to understand that in the face of allegations like these, anyone is deemed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law … No position is worth sacrificing the well-being and peace of mind of my family.”

Biazon earlier disclosed that he was “definitely affected by rumors directly hitting my family,” which he said were “directed by my detractors to put me off balance and distract me.”

“One example is the rumor that my mother (Monserrat) is the queen of smugglers. Of course, that’s very offensive. That is why I take extra effort to isolate my family from my work at Customs. Even my wife (Trina), I don’t let her go to Customs, and she also doesn’t want to,” he said.

He said his “decision to stay in a particular career is based mainly upon its effects on my family.”

Meanwhile, the official Palace website on Wednesday posted the announcement that the President has named John P. “Sunny” Sevilla, an undersecretary at the finance department, as the officer in charge at the Bureau of Customs.

It said Sevilla would temporarily step down from his position as undersecretary for the corporate affairs group and privatization, a position he has held since 2010.

Sevilla also served as undersecretary for the privatization group from 2006 to 2007.

Before joining the DOF, Sevilla worked as an executive director at the Goldman Sachs investment bank. He also covered the Philippines as an associate director and sovereign rater for credit rating agency Standard and Poors’.

Sevilla also served as chief operating officer of Synergeia Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the quality of public education in the country.

He graduated from Cornell University with a degree in economics and government, and obtained a master’s degree in public affairs from Princeton University.