Corruption in BOC cannot be resolved by whoever will head it —Duterte

President Rodrigo Duterte is convinced that corruption is too rampant at the Bureau of Customs (BOC) that it cannot be resolved by whoever will be assigned to head it.

In a speech in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan on Saturday, Duterte said he called on the military to take over the operations of the BOC in order to maintain peace and order at the agency.

"When you call the military to help, you are not appointing them to any position, neither are you designating them with specific functions," he said.

"Ano bang alam ng sundalo ng ledger pati journal? They are there to keep peace because Customs is an anarchy. Maski sinong ilagay mo talagang may corruption," he added.

Duterte has said he has ordered a military takeover of the BOC operations in response to the corruption and drug smuggling allegations at the agency.

Its former commissioner, Isidro Lapeña, was removed after a BOC official accused him of taking no action despite being told that billions in illegal drugs were being smuggled into the country using magnetic lifters.

Lapeña's predecessor, Nicanor Faeldon, also resigned following the controversial smuggling of P6.4-billion worth of shabu in May last year.

But Duterte pointed out the past two commissioners are not the only ones involved in corruption.

"Eh Customs [commissioner] si [Ruffy] Biazon noon. 'Di ba nagkakaso siya?" he said.

Critics of the administration has said Duterte's order is way beyond his powers and is even unconstitutional, as the presidential calling out powers may only be applied to "prevent or suppress lawless violence, invasion or rebellion" that puts public security or safety in danger.

But Duterte said he was not appointing any member of the military to a position in the BOC when he called them out.

"Itong mga politicians, may iba mga senador. Papogi-pogi lang ang y***, wala namang alam. Walang laman ang sinasabi," he said.

Newly-appointed Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero has also said there will be no militarization of the BOC, and that its incumbent personnel will still handle its operations. —KG, GMA News