Speaker Alvarez denies pushing for promotion of 'unqualified' BOC employee

Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez on Friday denied that he pushed for the promotion of an "unqualified" employee in the Bureau of Customs (BOC) as accused by the chief of staff of Customs Commissioner Nicanor Faeldon.

In a text message to reporters, Alvarez said the allegations of lawyer Mandy Anderson were "far from the truth."

"But I'm sorry I do not want to comment on that at the moment so as not to divert from the drug issue being investigated by the HOR (House of Representatives)," he added.

Alvarez was referring to the 600 kilograms of shabu smuggled into the country without the BOC learning about it.

During a joint inquiry on Wednesday, Majority Leader Rodolfo Fariñas scolded Anderson for describing Alvarez as an "imbecile" on a Facebook post after the House leader threatened to "dissolve" the Court of Appeals for ordering the chamber to release the "Ilocos 6," who were at the time, detained at the Batasang Pambansa Complex.

Anderson, in a radio interview after the hearing, said her conflict with Alvarez actually began when she was tasked to process the promotion of a BOC employee back in May. She said the employee was not qualified for promotion.

"So 'yung hiningi niya 'yung promotion, chineck ko kung qualified ba para ma-promote. Ang nangyari, hindi qualified. So in-inform ko po 'yung mga staff ni Speaker. Nangulit pa. Pinatawag ako sa opisina niya, pinagalitan ako," she said.

It was then that she allegedly started receiving "threatening messages" from Alvarez's staff.

"Tinawagan ako sa cellphone ng head executive assistant niya. 'Yung marching orders niya [Alvarez] is to [give]  me and the Commissioner [hell]," she said.

As of posting time, Alvarez has not yet responded to GMA News Online's inquiry if indeed such a threat was made.

Anderson, meanwhile, said she will remain Faeldon's chief of staff for as long as he requires her services.

This was confirmed by Faeldon himself in a statement.

“I will let Atty. Mandy Anderson remain in the Bureau as we need more people like her whose character is untainted with politics and corruption," he said. "Also, her personal opinion does not reflect or affect her efficacy in public service. We will remain firm in our resolve to provide good public service." —KBK/KVD, GMA News