MANILA – Former Bureau of Customs commissioner Isidro Lapeña viewed his appointment as the new Technical Education and Skills Development Authority director general as a promotion.
Malacañang, on the other hand, said the transfer was already planned before the shabu shipment controversy at the Customs.
Lapeña was relieved from the Customs and will be replaced by Rey Leonardo Guerrero, administrator of the Maritime Industry Authority, President Rodrigo Duterte announced during the 117th anniversary of the Philippine Coast Guard in Manila late Thursday.
“It’s a promotion actually for me. It’s his way of instituting reforms sa Bureau of Customs, and I respect that. I would like to thank the President for this another opportunity to serve in another capacity,” Lapeña said.
His transfer only proves Duterte still trusts him despite the alleged smuggling of P6.8 billion worth shabu into the country when the Customs was under his watch, said Lapeña.
“It’s a promotion, so the trust is there,” he pointed out. “In any capacity I always serve at my best.”
While Lapeña was fortunate to have another job, all commissioners and department heads of the Bureau of Customs have been fired by the President.
“I am ordering the freezing of all, all section, department units of the Bureau of Customs out,” Duterte said. “Out lahat. To the last man, out. The commissioners are out. The department heads, out.”
Lapeña insisted that the four magnetic lifters discovered in Cavite did not contain illegal drugs – and then backpedaled recently and said the lifters did contain shabu. Amid the issue, he denied involvement in a cover-up of the drug smuggling in the country.
Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said Lapeña’s transfer to TESDA had nothing to do with the shabu shipment controversy as this had been planned long ago.
“With respect to Commissioner Lapeña, alam mo matagal nang naka ano iyon … naka-ready i-transfer sa TESDA,” Panelo told dwFM. “Kaya lang nadali kasi – alam mo si Presidente, ano siya, he wants to spare him from intrigue dahil sinisiraan nang husto e.” (With ABS-CBN News/PN)
