The Philippine Bureau of Customs (BOC) has two new acting deputy commissioners for Internal Administration Group (IAG) and Intelligence Group (IG).
Retired lieutenant general Donato San Juan II is the acting deputy commissioner of IAG, replacing Gladys Rosales, while retired brigadier general Raniel Ramiro has replaced Ricardo Quinto as acting deputy commissioner of IG. Rosales and Quinto were brought into BOC by former customs commissioner Isidro Lapeña, who was recently transferred to the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority as director general.
San Juan and Ramiro, as well as newly installed Customs Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero all belong to the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) “Maharlika” Class of 1984. The appointment of San Juan and Ramiro still needs the approval of President Rodrigo Duterte, who earlier ordered BOC officials to be placed on floating status and to install military personnel in the agency.
San Juan, a seasoned combat commander, was the 57th superintendent of PMA and served in different command positions.
In his more than 30 years of service, San Juan received numerous awards and decorations, including three Distinguished Service Stars, the Gold Cross Medal, five Bronze Cross Medals, 16 Outstanding Officer of the Year awards, military merit medals, military commendation medals, and letters of commendation from commanders he had served. He was also awarded military civic action medals and disaster relief and rehabilitation medals for his achievements in community development and other non-combat pursuits.
Before retiring on July 13, 2018, Ramiro served the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in various capacities in all corners of the country, including overseas assignments such as in Iraq and Indonesia. He was the first chief of the AFP Peace and Development Office, which spearheaded the armed forces’ peace initiatives in support of the government’s peace agenda. Notably, at the height of the Marawi crisis, he was partly responsible for the AFP’s participation in the joint coordination and monitoring action center, which facilitated the safe passage of evacuees, the rescue of hostages, and the secured entry of humanitarian assistance in the designated peace corridors in Lanao del Sur.
