Newly appointed Customs Commissioner Alberto Lina vowed on Wednesday to divest himself of business interests dealing with the Bureau of Customs (BOC) while serving in the agency.
“I will divest myself from businesses that are directly dealing with the Bureau of Customs to avoid conflict of interest. I will sell all my and my family’s shares to all the logistics companies under the Lina Group of Companies,” Lina told reporters during his first press conference since he assumed post last Friday.
Citing a conflict of interest, members of the so-called “reform team” at customs had asked Lina to make good his promise of full transparency in running the bureau by disclosing all his business interests and making sure they did not interfere with his official functions.
Lina said six of his companies—2100 Customs Brokers, LGC Logistics, U-Freight Inc., U-Ocean Inc., E-Konek and Air 21—have been directly transacting with the BOC.
“According to the law, I think I have 60 days to divest from these companies,” he said. “My lawyers are studying which of the companies I would have to divest from … I may have to divest myself from all of my businesses including those that do not even directly do business with the BOC. Anyway, I think I can already retire after my stint at the bureau.”
The Lina Group of Companies includes Cargohaus, Lina Farms, Linaheim Properties, Linaheim Corporate Travel and Tours and Credit Solutions and Business Alliances, among others.
“I have a lot of companies, I have two waste companies, call center, canteen. We also operate an airline. I’m an independent director of the Philippine Airlines and maybe tomorrow or this afternoon, I will already resign from the post,” he said, adding that his wife and even his children would divest from businesses that directly transacted with the BOC.
Level playing field
“There has to be a level playing field for everyone like what we have shown in 2005,” he said, referring to the time when he was appointed BOC chief during the term of then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
During that time, Lina said he also divested from his business interest for transparency.
He said on Wednesday that documents were being prepared for the sale of his and his family’s shares and the payment of the appropriate taxes thereon.
Lina said it was his love for the country that made him decide to leave his companies in exchange for his post in BOC. He said he would continue the reforms that former BOC Commissioner John Sevilla, who resigned apparently due to “political pressure,” implemented during his stint in office.
“I love this country more than anything else,” Lina said. “I will do my job here at the best of my ability with all the expertise I have gained in the past 35 years of my life. I will give it to you, I will serve this country. Every peso we generate will go to the people. I would like to help this country generate those pesos so our poor people will have money to spend, build more hospitals, build more roads.”
Other issues
Apart from his financial interests in the corporations under the Lina Group of Companies, the BOC commissioner also addressed other issues hurled against him.
Asked if he would transfer lawyer Teddy Sandy Raval, chief of the BOC intellectual property rights division, to the enforcement and security services (ESS), Lina said he saw no problem with the transfer if Raval would turn out to be qualified for the post.
“I have not reviewed his papers but if he is qualified to the post, why not? He’s a lawyer,” Lina said.
Sevilla earlier said that in September or October 2014, he received feelers that the Iglesia ni Cristo was pushing the appointment of Raval to head ESS.
But Sevilla nixed Raval’s move to the ESS, a director post whose appointment rested with the President. He said no one had told him about Raval’s qualifications or experience for the job.
Lina also denied the claim of United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) interim president and Navotas Rep. Toby Tiangco’s that “the administration was circling the wagons by appointing people in key government positions like Lina to government agencies that can contribute to [the] LP’s campaign kitty.”
“Maybe he’s (Tiangco) dreaming. How can he accuse me of that? That’s not right. That’s his opinion, I will respect his opinion. But I will not be part of that. These are the things that sometimes are unfair to say,” he said.
Lina said he would not meddle in all the investigations being conducted by the BOC before he assumed post, including U-Freight’s alleged failure to pay about P1.5 billion in taxes and duties for an undisclosed number of shipments.
“Kung ano ang mga iniimbestigahan ngayon at minana ko, will be continued. Then let’s see what will happen next,” he said, but stressed that U-Freight was not a party to the transaction.
Congressional franchise
“Zest Air (now Air Asia Zest) is the importer on record … records disclose that in some instances, Zest Air, in view of the urgency and public necessity aspect of its operations, submitted letters of request to the deputy collector for operations (Ninoy Aquino International Airport) to release its shipments which upon approval by a Customs official, were transferred directly to the facilities of Zest Air,” Lina said.
According to Lina, the airline is covered by a congressional franchise, which states that it enjoys tax and duty free importation.
“The Department of Finance regularly issues certificates of tax exemption to the shipments of Zest Air, including most of the importations covered in this issue. Zest Air, through its brokers, past and present, are still in the process of having the DOF exemption certificates for the remaining shipments covered in this issue,” Lina explained in a statement.
Lina refused to answer questions concerning politics during the press briefing.
When asked how he would handle groups lobbying for certain personalities to be promoted or ignoring established procedures, Lina said: “I will handle it as it comes. Then judge me based on my reaction. It is not fair for you to judge me now.” SM