Malacañang reiterated its defense of former Customs Commissioner Isidro Lapeña on Saturday, saying a drug and smuggling syndicate was behind his downfall and eventual transfer to the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority.
In a statement, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said Lapeña was not fired by President Rodrigo Duterte but was moved to Tesda—a position with a Cabinet rank—to sustain his program of reforming government offices, like what he did at the Bureau of Customs.
Lapeña, who was embroiled in the successful smuggling of P11 billion worth of shabu through Customs, was replaced by former Armed Forces chief of staff Leonardo Rey Guerrero, who was leading the Maritime Industry Authority.
Panelo also repeated that Duterte has announced Lapeña’s transfer a week early to spare him from intrigue amid the congressional probe on the multibillion-peso shabu shipment into the country.
“With respect to Commissioner Lapeña, he had long been readied to be transferred to Tesda. But announcement was rushed because you know the President, he wants to spare him from intrigue because he was already being criticized,” Panelo said in a radio interview.
“His promotion was rushed. He is now a Cabinet member because BOC is just a bureau under the Department of Finance. The announcement was supposed to be made next week,” he added.
At the 117th Anniversary of the Philippine Coast Guard on Thursday, Duterte also fired the Customs deputy commissioners and placed all the bureau’s department heads on floating status.
He instructed Guerrero to train the PCG and military personnel to operate X-ray machines being used to inspect shipments in the BOC.
The spokesman said corrupt Customs officials and employees linked to a smuggling syndicate were behind the successful ouster of Lapeña from the bureau.
The Palace official said the former BOC chief was doing a good job, proven by his office consistently exceeding its target collections.
Panelo said Lapeña was a victim of a powerful syndicate “that continues to lurk at the bureau to protect their vested interest.”
“Lapeña instituted several reform initiatives resulting in a substantial increase in its revenue collection that even surpassed its given targets,” he said.
Panelo said it is “no secret” there are many corrupt people inside Customs, but Lapeña managed to get through it “without being swallowed by the system.”
He said Duterte continues to have complete trust and confidence on the competence and integrity of Lapeña.
A former police general and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency director, Lapena is the second Customs chief under the Duterte administration to be tainted by a drug-smuggling incident, the first being former Marine captain Nicanor Faeldon. With PNA