Lapeña claims allegations against him are linked to ‘internal cleansing’ at BOC

Bureau of Customs (BOC) Commissioner Isidro Lapeña asserted on Thursday that recent allegations that he did nothing about the P6.8-billion shabu shipment may be linked to an ongoing internal cleansing at the bureau.

“Our internal cleansing and anti-corruption efforts must be hurting people from within and outside the organization that I feel there is a concerted effort to discredit the reforms we are doing,” Lapeña said in a statement.

On Wednesday, Deputy Collector Ma. Lourdes Mangaoang claimed that Lapeña knew that the magnetic lifters recovered in a Cavite warehouse contained shabu, and yet he did not take action.

“Alam niyang may alam ako, at alam niyang may laman, dahil ... binigyan ko siya ng kopya ng X-ray image,” Mangaoang alleged in an interview on “Dobol B sa News TV.”

“Sabi ko, ‘Sir, ito po ang klarong image ... at kitang-kita po may laman yan’. Binigay ko sa kanya ang kopya.”

Lapeña is claiming otherwise.

“For the record, I ordered for an investigation early on, from the time that two magnetic lifters containing 355 kilos of shabu were intercepted at MICP. In fact, two investigation teams were created relevant to these incidents,” the BOC chief said.

MICP is the Manila International Container Port.

Lapeña noted that all X-ray images were already forwarded to both the House Committee on Dangerous Drugs, and the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee.

“We still maintain that the 4 magnetic lifters consigned to SMYD Trading went through proper Customs clearance,” he said. “There is no single X-ray image kept from the eyes of the oversight committees.”

The Palace said on Thursday that Lapeña still enjoys the trust and confidence of President Rodrigo Duterte.

In a separate interview Thursday on Dobol B sa News TV, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) chief Aaron Aquino said Customs officials must be held liable if it is proven that they knew about the shabu shipment but did not do anything about it.

“Kahit saang namang ahensiya, kapag nagkaroon ka ng kakulangan, tatamaan at tatamaan ang lider ng ahensiya na iyan,” said Aquino.

But it is too early for heads to roll with the probe by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) into the matter still ongoing, the PDEA chief noted.

PDEA and the Customs bureau have agreed to work closely in the fight against illegal drugs, the centerpiece of the Duterte administration, Aquino added. —Dona Magsino and Jon Viktor Cabuenas/VDS, GMA News