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Wednesday, November 02, 2005
Customs backs Arroyo, requires DOF clearance
Customs officials and personnel cannot attend any Congress public hearing or inquiry without written permission from the Department of Finance (DOF), said Bureau of Customs (BOC) Acting Commissioner Alexander Arevalo.
Arevalo reminded customs officials and employees of the controversial Executive Order (EO) 464 issued by President Arroyo last Sept. 28, requiring the permission from the Office of the President through DOF before they can appear before the House of Representatives or the Senate.
Port of Cebu
Arevalo issued a memorandum to this effect last Oct. 24. The BOC Port of Cebu received a copy the other day.
Opposition legislators have been rallying against EO 464, which is among the many issues they have been raising against the administration of President Arroyo.
The BOC and the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) are the government’s prime revenue collection agencies and are under the DOF.
Arevalo said that Section 2 (a) of EO 464 emphasized that executive privilege covers all confidential or classified information between the President and public officers. These include conversations and correspondence between the President and public officials; military, diplomatic and other national security matters; information between inter-government agencies prior to the conclusion of treaties and executive agreements; discussions in closed-door Cabinet meetings; and matter affecting national security and public order.
Presidential control
He added that the 1987 Constitution and the Administrative Code of 1987 provide that the President shall have control of all government departments, bureaus and offices and shall ensure that all the laws be faithfully executed.
With this, Arevalo said it would be appropriate that customs officials and employees shall ask permission from the President or her alter ego before responding to an invitation by either the House of Representatives or the Senate. (EOB)
(November 2, 2005 issue)
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