Alvarez denies meddling in Customs officer’s promotion

House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez
INQUIRER PHOTO / NINO JESUS ORBETA

Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez on Friday denied the allegation that he is pushing for a promotion of a favored person inside the Bureau of Customs (BOC), an issue that compelled the chief of staff of Customs commissioner Nicanor Faeldon to call the Speaker an “imbecile.”

In a text message to reporters, Alvarez said there is no truth to Atty. Mandy Mercado Anderson’s allegation that she acted as a “middle person” to back the promotion of an unqualified employee inside the bureau.

READ: BOC exec bares bullying by Speaker for ‘unqualified’ worker’s promotion 

Anderson on Thursday revealed that Alvarez meddled to promote an “unqualified employee” in the Bureau.

“Certainly, the allegation is far from the truth,” Alvarez said.

In the dzMM interview, Anderson said Alvarez even threatened her and BOC Commissioner Faeldon for not promoting the unnamed official, having received a call from Speaker’s executive assistant who supposedly told her that the Speaker’s marching order was “to bring hell to me and the commissioner.”

“Nagsimula ‘yan nung may hiningi siya promotion ng taga-BOC. Ako ‘yung parang naging middleman, nakikipag-communicate sa staff niya. So nung hiningi niya ‘yung promotion na ‘yun, siyempre chinecheck ko kung qualified ba na ma-promote. Eh ang nangyari, hindi qualified,” Atty. Mandy Anderson said in a radio interview on DZMM.

(It all started when he [Alvarez] wanted the promotion of a certain BOC employee. I was the one mediating, communicating with his staff. When he was asking for the promotion, certainly I checked if he is indeed qualified to be promoted. What happened was, he’s not qualified)

Anderson said she was scolded by Alvarez for not recommending the BOC officer, whom she refused to identify.

“Nangulit pa po, ipinatawag ako sa opisina niya, pinagalitan ako (He insisted, I was summoned at his office and I was berated). This was sometime after May,” said Anderson, adding that Alvarez later called Faeldon to push for the promotion but was also turned down.

Anderson thought that rejecting Alvarez’ request is the real reason  why she was scolded by House Majority Leader Rodolfo Fariñas during a congressional hearing on Wednesday.

“Why do you call the Speaker an imbecile? The Congress has the power to abolish the Court of Appeals because the CA is a creation of Congress,” said Fariñas, referring to a June 16 Facebook post by Anderson saying Alvarez is “imbecile” for threatening to close down the Court of Appeals for allegedly meddling in the case of six Ilocos Norte provincial officers who were detained at the House.

“I am no one. Kaya (that is why) I do not understand why I am given too much importance in a congressional hearing,” Anderson said.

“‘Yung Facebook post ko na ‘yan is very private. Actually, I have a separate account for public posts,” said Anderson. “Mali din na na-post ko ‘yun in a medyo public forum, pero at the same time, medyo private naman ‘yung Facebook ko so I was purposely being watched.”

Despite what happened, Anderson said she will stay as Faeldon’s chief of staff.

READ: BOC chief not sacking official who called Speaker ‘imbecile’

“I will stay as chief of staff as long as he will have me,” she said.

In a Facebook post, Faeldon said he is not condoning Anderson’s action but pointed out that she is “entitled to her own opinion.”

The Customs commissioner also maintained his decision not to fire Anderson.

“I will let Atty. Mandy Anderson remain in the Bureau as we need more people like her whose character is untainted with politics and corruption. Also, her personal opinion does not reflect or affect her efficacy in public service. We will remain firm in our resolve to provide good public service,” said Faeldon. JPV/rga

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