Following the order of Customs Commissioner Isidro Lapeña to conduct thorough port inspection, agents of the Intelligence and Investigation Service (CIIS) and Enforcement and Security Services (ESS) arrested an employee of the Manila International Container Port (MICP) and two cohorts for alleged corruption inside the container yard in MICP, Saturday morning.
Arrested were MICP Security Guard II Allan Pangkalinawan, assigned at the Pier Inspection Division, and two cohorts, reported hao siaos (bogus officials) in the Bureau of Customs (BOC).
“We have received directives from the commissioner to validate reports of port congestion at MICP, however, while inspecting we saw one PID (Piers and Inspection Division) personnel and two hao siaos who are facilitating the containers in the yard,” Director Yogi Ruiz of ESS said.
The ESS Director said Pangkalinawan is paying the hao siaos P2,000 per day in exchange for their service in guarding the containers.
A video showing the hao siaos assisting the guard in the releasing of cargoes was taken by the agents as proof of their activity.
Lapeña has directed the CIIS to conduct a thorough investigation on the incident.
“We will build a strong case against them. For now, Pangkalinawan will be relieved from office. Hindi pa natin madetermine kung saan nanggagaling ang pinapasahod niya na (We can’t yet determine where he gets the) P2,000 per day. If found guilty of illegal act, he will be removed from service,” he added.
“Hindi rin natin alam kung ano pa ang ginagawa ng mga hao siao doon at kung sino ang nagpapasahod sa kanila, chances are it came from tara or from extortion (We still don’t know the source of the P2,000 salary per day, chances are it came from tara or extortion),” Lapeña said.
In a previous pronouncement, the customs chief said he will give all BOC employees a clean slate but, if proven guilty, “will impose one-strike policy.”
“Let this be an eye-opener to all employees to start correcting their ways,” Lapeña said.
The suspects are now in the custody of the BOC.
