Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / VINCENT CABREZA
The Bureau of Customs (BOC) officials allegedly accepting bribes go as high as the commissioner Nicanor Faeldon, according to Senator Panfilo Lacson.
“As high as Faeldon meron doon. May pangalan siya roon, pati pangalan ng bagman niya naroon din,” Lacson said in an ambush interview.
Lacson divulged this a day before the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee resumes its hearing on the P6.4 billion shipment of shabu from China into the country.
Faeldon is expected to attend after he missed several hearings due to chest pains and high blood pressure.
“Kaya tatanungin ko rin kung nariyan siya kung kilala niya ang mga tao at anong pagkakilala niya, ang circumstances ng pagkakilala,” Lacson added.
Asked where he got the information, Lacson said: “May nagbigay sa akin. Tatanungin lang natin.”
Lacson said presidential son Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte was not on the list.
But he said, the younger Duterte’s alleged involvement in the Customs mess would be clarified with private broker Mark Ruben Taguba II.
Taguba mentioned Paolo’s name in one of the congressional hearings on the illegal shipment.
“Pwede rin tanungin kung i-elaborate ni Mark Taguba at kung may personal transaction directly with Paolo or whoever close to Paolo pwede tanungin yan,” said Lacson.
Taguba also named BOC’s Intelligence and Investigation Service director (CIIS) Neil Anthony Estrella, Intelligence Group deputy commissioner Teddy Raval, Import Assessment Services (IAS) Director Milo Maestrecampo, and Manila International Container Port (MCIP) district collector Vincent Philip Maronilla.
Maestrecampo, who vehemently denies the allegations, has since resigned from his post. CBB