President Rodrigo Duterte fired a top official of the Bureau of Customs for alleged numerous travels abroad and for allowing to issue manual alert orders to at least 105 misdeclared container vans worth P69 million at the Asian Terminal Inc., in Manila.
In a speech during the destruction of smuggled motorcycles at the Port of Manila, the President unceremoniously fired Deputy Commissioner Noel Patrick Sales Prudente in front of Customs officials and employees.
Prudente was the former director of the Philippine National Railways before he was appointed to the BoC.
“I will cut short the agony of Congress. I’m firing him today, Noel Patrick Sales Prudente,” the President said.
The Chief Executive did not explain the reason why he fired Prudente, but a Customs official who requested anonymity said the BoC DepCom was sacked due to his numerous travels abroad.
In a piece of paper the President was reading, he read, “personal travel to Singapore, personal travel to Europe.”
Prudente also got the ire of lawmakers for his scanty response with regard to the illegal release of 105 shipping containers from the premises of Manila South Harbor’s port operator ATI which were placed under manual alert orders.
The shipments from China were released by ATI allegedly without an order from the Office of the Commissioner.
The President repeatedly warned government officials from traveling abroad and do their job here.
Before, Duterte sacked Marcial Amaro III as administrator of the Maritime Industry Authority over excessive foreign trips and former Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor chairman Terry Ridon over “unnecessary trips.”
Prudente was appointed to the BoC last February to replace Gerardo Gambala at the bureau’s Management Information System Technology Group.
Duterte reiterated his warning to state workers against engaging in corruption.
“If there’s anything that you cannot afford, maybe [treatment for] cancer, medications, you can always go to my office, there’s money… I will look for ways, if not I will borrow,” he said.
The President has fired or sought the resignation of government officials over alleged unnecessary trips abroad, including former Commission on Higher Education Chairperson Patricia Licuanan, former Maritime Industry Authority administrator Marcial Amaro III, and former Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor chairman Terry Ridon.