Customs supports Portal

The Bureau of Customs (BoC) said yesterday that it is supporting President Arroyo’s creation of an anti-graft body in the BoC, saying this will help get rid of speculations that its dealings are tainted with corruption.

"That is an advantage for the bureau since private individuals are in authority, they will no longer speculate that the dealings in Customs are tainted with corruption because they will be aware of the process," Giovanni Imaysay, the bureau’s executive assistant, said.

President Arroyo on Tuesday ordered the creation of anti-graft watchdogs to be composed of the civil society to stop smuggling and other corrupt practices in revenue-generating agencies of the government such as the BoC and the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR)

The anti-graft panel in the BoC will be called the Ports Transparency Alliance (Portal). In the BIR, it will be called the Partnership for a Transparent and Efficient Revenue Service (Partners).

"(This is) Very welcome, it will be a big help to the bureau because we will help one another in fighting technical smuggling," Imaysay said.

Imaysay suggested that safety nets should be included in the implementing rules and guidelines of the panels created by Malacañang to prevent abuse.

Atty. Lourdes Mangaoang, head of the BoC Xray Scanning Unit, hopes that the officials of Portal will not use their positions to discredit the reputation of other people.

"If they have another agenda such as protecting themselves or their friends, it will not look good for the government. So I hope they would use this to their advantage," she said. (Leslie Ann G. Aquino)

Gov’t employees appeal to Blue Ribbon panel

The one million-strong Confederation of Government Employees Organizations (Cogeo) yesterday called on opposition members of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee to stop turning the panel into a rumor mill through the National Broadband Network (NBN) project.

Cogeo President Floriño O. Ibañez, Executive Vice President Bayani A. Aquino, and Secretary General Manuel R. Parlada said it is time to restore dignity to the committee by stopping the evidence-less theatricals of NBN probe witnesses such as Engr. Rodolfo I. Lozada Jr.

"They should now start spending more time on their job as lawmakers, especially Sen. Alan Peter S. Cayetano, to benefit the lowly paid government employees," they said.

Ibañez cited published data from the Senate that since he became senator, Cayetano has yet to principally author even a single bill or resolution.

"Cayetano was only a co-author in a pathetic two of the 2,121 bills and a measly three of the 260 resolutions. Yet, he spends hours on NBN hearings and practically glorifies the witnesses who all have not presented a single piece of evidence up to now other than their self-serving statements," Ibañez said.

BI official supports darts tilt in Laguna

Bureau of Immigration (BI) Deputy Commissioner Roy Almoro has expressed support to the First Laguna National Darts Open (LNDO) at the Games and Spirits Sports Bar in Sta. Rosa City, Laguna.

Almoro was congressman of the first district of Laguna before joining the BI as deputy commissioner. He was asked by darts clubs in the district to champion the cause of the sport.

Dubbed as Roy Almoro Cup, in recognition of the former congressman’s support to the sport, the event will open at 10 a.m. on March 29 and will end with awarding ceremonies the following day, March 30.

Over 100 players have expressed interest in joining the LNDO.

Organizers said the LNDO has been approved as a ranking and rating event of the Darts Council of the Philippines (DCP) and is expected to attract some 200 players.

"It is a two-day marathon competition of the country’s top darters," Errol Magtubo, DCP and tournament director, said.