Palace thanks Sevilla for ‘exemplary leadership’

Customs Commissioner John Phillip Sevilla. INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO

Malacañang has thanked the “exemplary leadership” of Customs Commissioner John Phillip Sevilla after he announced his resignation on Thursday morning.

Communications Secretary Heminio Coloma Jr. said in a statement they have received the information from the Office of the Finance Secretary regarding Sevilla’s resignation.

Finance Secretary Cesar Purisma, in behalf of President Benigno Aquino III, thanked Sevilla for his exemplary leadership in implementing reforms in the Bureau of Customs (BOC).

“I thank Commissioner Sevilla for his dedicated service and relentless pursuit of good governance in the Bureau of Customs,” Purisima said.

He said that the BOC was the most improved national government agency in terms of revenue collection in 2014 through the leadership of Sevilla.

Acording to him, Sevilla as head of the Customs’ reform team has made government regulation more efficient for doing business in the country, and has taken great strides to thwart graft, technical and outright smuggling by filing cases, alert orders and seizures against erring importers, brokers, and officials.

“I respect his well-discerned decision to resign. In a span of a year and half, he has shown us that what was then impossible is now possible. It is possible to hope that we can transform institutions, with uncompromising courage and integrity,” he said.

On Thursday morning, Sevilla resigned from his post citing political pressures at the agency.

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