Manila: Citing “political pressure” the head of the Philippine Bureau of Customs, John Phillip Sevilla, has resigned.
A former chief of the agency has been named as his replacement.
President Benigno Aquino III appointed Alberto Lina to head the bureau after accepting Sevilla’s resignation on Thursday evening,
Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr said.
Sevilla is the second head of the customs bureau to resign due to pressure after Rufino Biazon, who cited difficulties in handling personnel within as well as influence from traders who resist efforts by the government to reform what has been regarded as one of the most corrupt agencies.
In resigning from his post, Sevilla said he quit his post in the waterfront agency because he lacked the “political skills” needed to run the bureau.
“Someone who leads Customs should have a skills set, capabilities to navigate, lead in a political environment while pushing for reforms needed in the bureau,” he was quoted as saying in published interviews.
The resignation cast doubts over the Aquino administration’s resolve to end corruption and political accommodation.
Sevilla said he was disheartened because that he could not finish implementing the reforms that he had started in the bureau.
Reports said that influential cliques, including that of the powerful non-Catholic Iglesia ni Kristo (Church of Christ) had been trying to squeeze in their choice to head the bureau.
“Why is it that I have to accept the consequence of political compromises and so must the employees and reformers in Customs. Our work here is hard. Why it should be included in the things we have to do?” he asked.
Under Sevilla, Customs had embarked on various reforms that included an internet-accessible master list of all of the regulated import products in the country and their corresponding import requirements.
This particular effort by the bureau was aimed at addressing technical smuggling, outright smuggling and similar practices.
Customs collections account for 20 per cent of government revenue and any act of large scale smuggling could be considered economic sabotage under the country’s laws.
From January-October 2014, the department collected P299 billion (Dh24.83 billion), up significantly from Jan-Oct 2013 P252.8 billion (Dh20.99 billion). But Sevilla had said the collections could have been more if corruption at the bureau was being properly addressed.
The newly appointed chief, Lina, had headed the customs during the administration of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in 2005.
