Customs exec on leave over ‘abuse’

The head of the Bureau of Customs’ Run After the Smugglers (Rats) team has gone on leave after he and seven members of his team were ordered suspended by Malacañang for alleged abuse of authority and extortion activities.

Deputy customs commissioner Gregorio Chavez has obeyed President Benigno Aquino III’s order and went on leave voluntarily, said Customs Commissioner Rufino Biazon.

Asked if Chavez would be regarded as suspended or on floating status, Biazon said he didn’t quite know how to describe it. He said he had been consulting Finance Secretary regarding the implementation of the Malacañang order when Chavez filed for a leave of absence.

Malacañang last week meted out a 90-day preventive suspension on Chavez and seven Rats team members following accusations that the group raided warehouses of a steel importing firm, impounded trucks and goods without proper documentation, harassed company personnel and even asked for bribes.

Biazon said the Rats team would now be under the charge of deputy commissioner Peter Manzano, who will lead in the weekly filing of big smuggling cases at the Department of Justice.

Chavez and the seven were given 10 days to rebut the charges of grave misconduct, grave abuse of authority, oppression, conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service, direct bribery, graft and corruption, grave coercion, grave threats, betrayal of public trust, usurpation of authority and violation of code of conduct and ethical standards for public officials. Jerome Aning