Isidro Lapeña formally took his oath of office on August 29 as commissioner of the controversy-plagued Philippine Bureau of Customs (BOC).
Lapeña’s appointment paper was signed by President Rodrigo Duterte on August 23, two days after the Chief Executive announced that the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) chief would be replacing Nicanor Faeldon as head of BOC.
Duterte said Lapeña has his trust and confidence.
The new customs chief, who will start office on August 30, said he will bring with him his own people whom he “can trust and they have my confidence.”
Lapeña said he will serve BOC with integrity and dedication, adding that he will continue the momentum in the fight against drugs even in his new post.
“It is good that I will be with Customs because it is also one way to help curb the supply of illegal drugs from other countries. It is also along the line of the President’s aim of ridding the country of the drug menace. I think that is really why I am being placed in Customs,” Lapeña said.
On insinuations that he will be corrupted by the system, Lapeña said, “My record shows I have never been involved in any scandal and I have always worked diligently as a government official.”
Lapeña’s appointment comes amid a congressional probe of the P6.4-billion illegal drug shipment that slipped past the customs bureau, which had led Faeldon to seek relief from office.
The new customs commissioner was the fifth director general of PDEA, having been appointed by Duterte last year.
Lapeña graduated from the Philippine Military Academy as a member of Maagap Class of 1973. From being a junior officer in the Philippine Constabulary in 1973, he climbed the ladder at the Philippine National Police, rising to become deputy director general for operations before he retired from service in 2007.
In his 34 years in government service, Lapeña received 65 police and military medals, including the Gold Cross Medal and the Medalya ng Katapangan for gallantry in action. He has a Master’s Degree in Public Administration and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Criminology, and had attended specialized courses overseas.
Commendation for Faeldon
Meanwhile, Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez lauded Faeldon for his one year and one month sevice as customs chief.
In a Letter of Commendation sent to the Office of the Commissioner on August 23, 2017, Dominguez described Faeldon as a “man of unquestionable integrity”.
He cited Faeldon’s “unwavering dedication and perseverance” in BOC exceeding its collection targets.
“More significantly, with the BOC’s initiative, rigorous investigative work and effective law enforcement on your watch, we were able to catch the biggest instance of tax fraud in Philippine history”, referring to Mighty Corp, which had used fake tax stamps on some of its cigarettes.
“You have also made a tremendous effort in meeting head-on the enormous challenge of cleansing the bureau of corrupt employees. Under your leadership, transparency and accountability began to be the norm in the BOC.
Dominguez said these attest to Faeldon’s “impeccable character, honesty, sincerity and strong leadership. You undobtedly possess the qualities we always look for in our public servants as we strive to realize our goal of wiping out corruption in government.”
