Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has sacked Noel Patrick Prudente as Bureau of Customs (BOC) deputy commissioner of Management Information System and Technology Group (MISTG).
“He is now under investigation by the House. The investigation, as well as the recommendation, will take long. So I will cut short the agony of Congress. I’m firing him today, Noel Patrick Sales Prudente,” Duterte announced in an impromptu speech during the ceremony that saw the destruction of smuggled vehicles at Manila South Harbor on May 30.
Duterte did not elaborate on why he fired Prudente but, reading from a piece of paper, he said “personal travel to Singapore, personal travel to Europe.” The President has been firing government officials for alleged excessive trips abroad.
Duterte’s announcement comes after the Lower House Ways and Means Committee started an inquiry on the unauthorized release last March of 105 containers from Manila South Harbor. During the first two hearings by the committee, Prudente was continuously questioned on his alleged involvement in the incident.
Prudente was not able to attend the last hearing held May 28, however. In a letter sent to the committee, he said he was on leave for personal reasons, and could not cancel the trip as it had been scheduled earlier.
Prudente was appointed MISTG deputy commissioner in February this year. Prior to his appointment, he had been working since last year as a consultant with BOC’s MISTG.
Prior to his post at BOC, Prudente was a director at the Philippine National Railways.
