Ruffy Biazon takes over the Customs Post

President Noynoy Aquino was more definite yesterday when asked who's replacing Angelito Alvarez as Customs Chief? Without naming names, Aquino said the one chosen has agreed to take on the job but asked that he'll be given the chance to spend more time with his wife. Aquino said that the person will be celebrating his wedding anniversary by September 16, 2011 and after that, he can assume the post.


I checked who among the "contenders to the BOC post celebrates his wedding anniversary by that date and I found out that it is Ruffy Biazon, one of my favorite and principled politicians around.


So, it's really Ruffy Biazon who's taking the Bureau of Customs job. If Biazon's appointment is now certain, what becomes of Danny Lim? Lim is being groomed to be the deputy commissioner to head the Custom's intelligence department. 


Think about it---two young idealists, with very strong moral standing and tough as nails principles heading the Customs department. That will be a tall order for smugglers and operators there at the Customs. 


There's nothing wrong with Biazon's request except that Alvarez is going around town, trying to defend himself and indirectly accusing this administration of being under the influence of smugglers. 


Alvarez accuses President Aquino of being under the influence of smugglers that explains his ouster from the department. The only reason why he is still not out of the good graces of Malacanang is his request for a last hurrah.


Alvarez intends to expose the involvement of the Arroyos in illegal smuggling activities at the Bureau. He will be presenting several documents linking former First Gentleman and his sons, Mikey and Dado to several missing containers. Alvarez has the goods so to speak. 


The question is---why only now? And would it really matter?

Its a report about his inefficiency, not smugglers that sealed Customs Chief Alvarez's fate

Call it whatever you want, but the issue is not political lobbying but your inefficiency. Outgoing Customs Chief Angelito Alvarez said there is a conspiracy among smugglers to force him out of the agency. 


Crap. Bull.


There is no conspiracy. There is, however, a very solid and informed decision to force you out because even now, you simply can't explain the missing 1,900 container vans, which cost the government billions worth of lost taxes. If you're really on top of the situation, can you explain this? 


Look at how lame Alvarez explained the missing vans:

This time around, he believed that the case of the missing 1,910 container vans from the Port of Manila and the Manila International Container Port to the Port of Batangas was the reason why the issue on his removal resurfaced.

Some legislators criticized him for allowing the disappearance of the 1,910 container vans, but he realized that this modus operandi has been happening since previous years.

In fact in 2010, before he assumed the position, they discovered some 3,000 missing containers that were released without payment of the correct taxes and duties.

“I think that this is just the tip of the iceberg,” Alvarez said.

Alvarez claims that his strongest advantage when he was appointed in his post was his 20 year experience dealing with Customs. Don't tell me that this is the first time you discovered such a modus operandi? Likewise, don't tell me that as a "accountant", you did'nt see this coming? So, that long time experience was just "it", an experience? It did'nt help you in your job?


Come on.


Sources tell me that these container vans immediately fetched 100 million? Is this part of the so-called 500 million pesos that several groups allegedly close to Alvarez aimed at raising before he calls it quits? Just asking.

Out-going Customs Chief Angelito Alvarez insinuates that various groups caused his ouster

Embattled Alvarez lost the battle

Oh, really? When RMN news reported that he's definitely out, Customs chief Angelito Alvarez tried to justify it by saying that certain groups are out to get him because he uncovered several anomalies inside the bureau.


Oh, really now?


“I discovered many anomalies like how they were faking official receipts, receipts of origin and even load port survey results,” Alvarez said in a Philippine Daily Inquirer interview.


Now that he's being replaced, Alvarez unloaded what he claims to be a "bomb"---those missing containers were part of a scheme to raise funds during the previous elections.


Oh, is that it?


Records show those 3,880 plus containers got lost last January 2011---not 2010. Meaning, it vanished during Alvarez's term. 

Will Ruffy be the "it guy" who'll reform the
graft-ridden Bureau of Customs?

Reports had reached the President's ears of how several groups amassed huge wealth allegedly at the time that Alvarez was implementing the "tuwid" na daan of President Noynoy. But what happened was not tuwid but tuwad na daan. 


Smuggling activities went unnoticed at Subic, with tons of smuggled sugar allegedly smuggled by a known celebrity. Cebu and Mindanao ports were not spared. Thousands of containers with imported apparel, jewelry, perfumes and other appliances vanished into thin air during Alvarez term. 


What Alvarez is trying to say is that those groups who perpetuated these anomalies are now within hearing distance of the President. Untrue.


With Ruffy Biazon as the replacement of Alvarez, expect a shakeup within the bureau. The young Biazon is the most idealistic guy I have ever met. 


With a kamay na bakal, Biazon would surely make things harder for operators to operate. I am willing to cooperate with Biazon on improving the public's perception about the BUreau of Customs if he truly implements what the president wants---a tuwid na daan. 


But if Biazon would just transform the Bureau into a party "political milking cow", then, I'll always be here to write about the scams and scandals of the bureau. BY the way, I interviewed RUffy last elections see link: http://newphilrevolution.blogspot.com/2009/09/off-cuff-with-ruffy-biazon-that-is.html

There is still hope in Aquino

There are tons of work in the palace. Arroyo mismanaged the affairs of the State for nine long years. The former dispensation is a game changer. That administration totally changed the way we view government service. During those tumultuous years, public service meant personal service and allegiance to the Couple ensconced in Malacanang.


Slowly, Aquino is changing all that. Admittedly, Aquino is honestly serving all of us. THere is still hope that things will definitely change for the better if Aquino would be honest enough to fire his close associates involved in graft and corruption.


Fire Angelito Alvarez from Customs. Kick the butt of Margie Juico from PCSO. Kindly tell Virgie Torres to vacate her post at LTO and investigate several other "pro-Noynoys" involved in this and that deals in government, and all would be fine.

Corruption at the Bureau of Customs

Corruption continues at the Bureau of Customs.


A small brokerage firm is now on the brink of disaster. Why? Because a customs employee by the name of "Magno" continually harass the owner of the brokerage firm. 


This Magno collects 2 million pesos from the firm. The firm has not decided yet. Magno uses the name of his boss, a certain "Vicencio", head of the BOC CIIS. Vicencio, in turn, uses the name of Bureau of Customs Commissioner Angelito Alvarez. 


Alvarez, according to these two nincoompoops, reportedly gave them an assignment--50 million pesos per month.


NPR later learned from highly reliable sources at the BOC that this is not true. Alvarez has not given any order to collect from brokerage firms. Fact is, Alvarez has ordered for the filing of charges and arrest of those who will continue the practice of getting grease money from brokers.


Mr. Alvarez, we know you're clean. My friend, who is also your friend, told me that you don't tolerate these things.


I suggest that you fire these two people and replace them with honest ones. 

Sade, Drops of rain and feelings of invincibility

A nice one, this day is. The sun is shining, neither thunderbolts nor signs of rain. For the past few days, I've been getting myself drenched, my own fault. I should have bought myself an umbrella. Or a hat. Or something to cover my balding head. Don't know what came over me. Is it because sometimes you feel invincible? That a few drops of rain cannot really make me sick?

I can understand how members of Aquino's official family are feeling nowadays. President Noynoy Aquino, their principal, enjoys an 88% popularity rating. Good way to start one's day, isn’t? That you are serving a very popular president. Feeling invincible? Sure.

A popular president enjoys most of the trust of a believing public. The only head of state who maintained such a high trust rating was Ramon Magsaysay. Opps. I don't want Joma to read this. Magsaysay, they say, won thru CIA manipulation (and you know what CIA means right?). Joma once accused the Aquino family of cooperating with some shady characters of the world's biggest spy organization to propel their brother Noynoy to victory. What Joma probably forgot is Noynoy did not need a CIA to win. With Erap and Manny Villar as choices, plus a bubbling Teodoro, who will not choose Noynoy? A newbie versus veteran politicos. In a fight where trust depends on perception, the obvious winner is someone who positions himself as "new" despite being an old timer.


Opps again. I hope Joma does not hear about this. President Aquino "the third" just publicly announced his desire to have a communications structure similar with that of Magsaysay, with a caveat of course. Instead of snail mail, Aquino wants to receive criticisms, suggestions and opinions from the public by way of Tweeter and Face book. The question really is-- will those suggestions reach the eyes and ears of a very busy president?


I hope so, like when rain reaches your rooftops and falls to the ground due to gravity. That precious drop enriches the soil and keeps it moist. The question really and truly is, with so much damage wrought by the previous dispensation, where to start?


How many tweets would it require then to make Aquino listen? That Alvarez appointment is wrong and that he stands to take the heat once Congress opens its mouth, err, its sessions?


How many tweets would it take to make Aquino listen? Those cartels are manipulating food prices and keeping oil prices at prohibitive prices? These tweets and Face book updates are all over but, sadly, no appropriate responses....yet.


Oppss....think I better stay at my HDB. I see trickles of rain at my window pane. I intend to walk to City Hall in a while, search for old books and some paints. I am painting again. The last time I did was several years ago, when, alone in my flat, I sketched myself an image of the Motherland. Easy to draw when you’re all alone, you have the entire universe at your disposal.


When you’re enjoying an 88% rating, chances are, you’ll be isolated and these men around you would simply feed you with wonderful and very optimistic news. Forever 88? I hope so, like when a woman celebrates her thirty, the obvious response whenever she’s asked about her age is a redundant thirty.

Changes are ideals. Ideals are dreams. Dreams are slices of reality. Reality is what you say it is. When you say reality is being optimistic, then, some slices of your dreams are optimistic ones.

"Cherish the day. I won't go astray" croons my favorite singer, Sade. Tell that to Noynoy's men, especially Singson who salivated for the MWSS position, only to be discovered a few days later. I remember seeing a thin, blackened image of a man, on the verge of sitting on a chair made of gold. That gold is water, actually. Water is not a free resource, it is now a commodity. Even rain that hits your window pane, has a value. Thanks to "minister" Singson for transforming God's gift into a product.

That's one of the reasons why, if I ever go back to Philippine reality, I'll buy myself a hectare of Tanay soil near a spring. Spring water is still free, right?

" You are the lover's rock, the rock that I cling to. You're the one the one that I cling to in a storm.." sings Customs chief Alvarez after Noynoy publicly defended him. For Noynoy, there's nothing wrong if you cheated a golf game. If you don't perform, goodbye, says Noy. Well, Alvarez just reneged in his promise of presenting one big fish every week. Is this why you put him there in the first place Noy, to rid Customs of unscrupulous operators? Now, he's not performing at par. What do you do?

I'll not go out of my HDB. No. I will just stay here and listen to Sade. Maybe, I'll get some nuggets of wisdom from her songs.

Customs Chief's Alvarez' Rotten Mango

Golf is a gentleman's sport. Honesty is one trait you need to have when you play it. Why? Ninety percent of the time, you are alone, just you with your club and ball. When you hit that ball and it lands somewhere in the green or outside of it, there's no one to monitor how many times you hit that ball again. That's is, if you play one round, all by yourself or when you practice.

In golf tournaments, such as the one which Customs chief Angelito Alvarez took part of, he was with his caddy. The caddy, for the benefit of those not familiar with golf, is the one who accompanies a golfer while he plays. The caddy is not just the one who carries the golfers' bag, oh no. He is also your scorer, especially in tournaments.

Now, golf is rather very simple to play. You have your club and your ball. Several meters away, there's a hole with a flag. That hole is in the middle of a green patch of earth. Your goal is simply put that ball into the hole with the least number of times.

For example, a hole is described as par 5. This means that an average golfer takes five tries to get that ball into the hole. If he exceeds 5 and tries to get that ball in, say 8 tries, he loses that hole. When he lands just one try, it's called hole in one. When he lands it less than 5, it's called an eagle. When he completes one stroke over 5, then its called a bogey.

Your scores are then inputted into a scorecard. The scorecard reflects how many attempts it took you to make the grade. The lower your score, the better. Several scorecards will show your handicap.

A person with a single handicap is, most often than not, a professional golfer. A golfer with a handicap of over 25 is an average one. Practice makes you perfect your swing, because in golf, like any other, good form produces excellent results.

Now, cheaters do the unthinkable---instead of practicing, they try to defeat their opponents with a mere dagdag bawas. Or, in golf parlance, you win by the stroke of a pen.

Very important in golf is, you're honest. If you're not honest, every single golfer in the entire Philippines will know that you're a cheater. Why? Because only a fraction of the Filipino population plays golf. News spreads very fast.

And you know the reason why golf is always being played by businessmen and operators? Because it shows how a person conducts himself. If he plays professionally and honestly, then, people will trust him. If he cheats, like what Alvarez did, then, it shows the true nature of the person.

Alvarez, in his responses before the media, has cavalierly told the public that there's nothing absolutely wrong with what he did in that Mango tee tournament. He says that he did nothing wrong. He blames his friends who were with him during that flight (a flight is a group of 3 golfers who play together) at Ayala Alabang Golf and Country Club. It was his friends, he says, who mucked his scorecard up, not him.

Alvarez is lying. He knows that what he did is a mortal sin. It's a mortal sin to cheat your score especially in a tournament. Worst, you actually colluded with your caddy to "beautify" your score.

If Alvarez does that while just playing golf, how much more in his private and public life? If he can cheat and tell everyone that there's no problem with that, how can we then trust him in his duties as a Customs chief? In customs, he deals with numbers. In golf, the same thing. If he has that propensity of colluding with others to improve his score, how then can we be assured that he will not stop going to bed with unscrupulous customs officials and smugglers?

Noy, I am sorry, but Alvarez has to go. As your "boss", don't allow your administration to be tainted by Alvarez's rotten mango. As they say, one rotten mango spoils the others.

By the way, Alvarez promised to show before the media at least one rotten mango at the Bureau of Customs every single week. Its now Tuesday, and there's not a single face.

Who will the bureau sacrifice this time? Will it be one of Alvarez's syndicate enemies?