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Tuesday, April 04, 2006
Mangaoang told not to quit post
By Elias O. Baquero
Sun.Star Staff Reporter
In another twist in the tug-of-war at the Port of Cebu, District Collector Ma. Lourdes V. Mangaoang announced yesterday that the Bureau of Customs officer-in-charge Alexander Arevalo has told her not to vacate her post.
Mangaoang said Arevalo did not give her a reason for her retention but was told that the order suspending customs personnel order (CPO) 169-2006 came from the “higher authority.”
CPO 169-2006, which reassigned Collector Grace Zuño Karingal to Cebu to replace Mangaoang, was issued by Customs Acting Commissioner Napoleon Morales last Friday before he went to Beijing, China to attend a convention.
The order was allegedly in violation to Executive Order 133 issued by President Arroyo last January, which provides that all movements of district collectors must have the approval of the finance secretary.
CPO 169-2006 was issued by Morales a week after he issued the first CPO reassigning Karingal to the Port of Subic.
Customs lawyers said the first CPO reassigning Karingal to Subic is the valid order because it was approved by Secretary Margarito Teves.
Although Arevalo did not tell Mangaoang who ordered the suspension of the implementation of CPO 169-2006, customs observers presumed that the higher authority being referred to is President Arroyo, who was informed twice by Cebu City Councilor Sylvan “Jack” Jakosalem about the support in Cebu for Mangaoang.
Jakosalem also sent to Arroyo, through fax, copies of the letters from the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mepzcem, Philexport-Cebu and Mandaue Chamber of Commerce and Industrsy requesting Morales and Teves to retain Mangaoang.
Port of Cebu personnel wore black shirts yesterday to dramatize their support for Mangaoang and their rejection of Karingal.
Mangaoang told Sun.Star Cebu that with the order retaining her, she will work hard to improve Cebu’s economy by fastracking business transactions with customs.
“I thank Cebu’s leaders and the Cebuanos in general for supporting me. I will not fail their expectation of good government,” Mangaoang said.
She said she will be vigilant because she received reports that the smugglers of vehicles and rice who failed to do illegal business since she assumed office last year have sent send illegal shipments after Karingal announced she will take over today.
Meanwhile, lawyer Eddie Tamondong, the counsel of former Comelec commissioner Virgilio Garcillano, has denied reports that his client has called Arroyo and recommended Marieta Zamoranos as district collector of Subic instead of Karingal.
“My, client, Virgilio Garcillano categorically denied that he called the President because he has no access to Malacañang. Appointment of officials is a prerogative of the appointing power,” Tamondong said.
Rep. Antonio Cuenco (Cebu City, south) said that with what happened to Mangaoang, he suggested that district collectors should have a term of at least two years in their assignment to avoid so personnel won’t be demoralized with the sudden reshuffling of officials.
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (April 4, 2006 issue)
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