Statement of Sen. Francis Pangilinan on BoC P11B shabu smuggling scandal
No-nonsense solutions, not theatrics; make big fish in P11-billion shabu smuggling scandal pay: Kiko

First of all: Placing a revenue-generating agency under the Armed Forces of the Philippines is of doubtful legality. What does AFP know about collecting taxes and tariffs? The bureaucracy is becoming militarized. What's next? BIR? Immigration? Not all military officials are effective managers like inept Capt. Faeldon and Gen. Lapeña of BoC and Jason Aquino of NFA.

No. 2: Regardless of who manages the Bureau of Customs, if Malacañang itself tolerates and does not punish Faeldon and Lapeña and doesn't show any teeth and outrage against drug lords, nothing will come of AFP's transfer because it will only follow Malacañang's orders.

No. 3: The solution is not in the transfer of any agency but in showing that incompetent officials and the syndicates they are in connivance with, all big fish, are punished and held to account.

Placing the AFP in charge of the BoC may appear decisive and daring but what we need are no nonsense solutions, not theatrics.