Sen. Bam on drug shipment: Zero cases against BOC officials, highly peculiar
(Transcript of questions during the Senate Blue Ribbon hearing on P6.4 shabu shipment)

Sen. Bam: Maraming salamat Mr. Chairman. Just a few questions for out three guests today para lang linawin iyong mga nangyayari. Maganda rin siguro na may konting oras na rin ang nagdaan since the last time we had a hearing para mapag-usapan natin ang nangyari in between. Let me start with Commissioner Lapena before I go to Captain Faeldon. Commissioner Lapena, nagkaroon ng internal investigation ang BOC, tama po?

Comm. Lapena: Yes your honor, we had a parallel investigation.

Sen. Bam: Noong huli tayong nagkita, sinabi niyo magsasagawa kayo ng internal investigation.

Comm. Lapena: Yes your honor.

Sen. Bam: Doon sa investigation niyo, sino ang BOC officials or employees na sa tingin niyo ay nagkaroon ng sala, whether on purpose or not, doon po sa pagpasok ng 604 kilos ng shabu.

Comm. Lapena: On the part of Bureau of Customs, we have filed this case of violations of Sections 1400, 1401, 1403 in Relation to Section 118 of the Customs Modernization And Tariff Act and Section 4 of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act. We have as respondents nine people your honor.

Sen. Bam: Sino po sila? Pakibanggit po iyong siyam na sa tingin ng BOC dapat kasuhan dito sa kasong ito.

Comm. Lapena: This is all we have your honor, the evidence we have gathered as far as the BOC is concerned. The investigation of PDEA is another. This is as far as BOC is concerned.

Sen. Bam: Sino po ang siyam na iyon.

Comm. Lapena: They are Mr. Irene Tatad, Mr. TJ Marcellana, Mr. Mark Robin Taguba II, Mr. Richard Tan also known as Richard Chen, Mr. Fidel Anoche Dy, Mr. Chen Ai Min.

Sen. Bam: Sino nga po ito?

Comm. Lapena: He is one of the Chinese nationals that was leasing, your honor.

Sen. Bam: Kay Fidel Dy, doon sa bahay sa Valenzuela?

Comm. Lapena: Yes, your honor.

Sen. Bam: Sino pa po?

Comm. Lapena: Chun Ming Chun, Lee Guan Feng also known as Manny Li and Mr. Dong Yi Shen also known as Kenneth Dong.

Sen. Bam: Wala ho kayong kinasuhan sa loob ng BOC na sa tingin niyo ay nagkasala sa pagpasok ng droga sa bansa?

Comm. Lapena: This is how our investigation went, your honor.

Sen. Bam: Sa tingin niyo, sa lahat ng miyembro na sinabi ni Mark Taguba, sa speech ni Sen. Lacson na na-cross examine ng ating chairman, walang isang BOC official ang may sala sa kasong ito?

Comm. Lapena: Yes your honor, but we have another action on the possible violation of anti-graft and corrupt practices your honor.

Sen. Bam: Sige pakibanggit po.

Comm. Lapena: This was referred to Ombudsman.

Sen. Bam: Mayroon kayong criminal case na isinampa sa DOJ and it included all the private individuals pero pagdating sa BOC officials, mayroon kayong separate case.

Comm. Lapena: Yes your honor. We hope that the investigation of Ombudsman, it addresses criminal and administrative cases your honor.

Sen. Bam: Sino ang recommended niyo sa Ombudsman na dapat makasuhan?

Comm. Lapena: Your honor, our request with the Ombudsman is a list of all the personnel that was mentioned by Sen. Lacson during his KITA-KITA.

Sen. Bam: Ano ho ang request niyo sa Ombudsman, na imbestigahan or nag-file talaga kayo ng kaso sa kanila?

Comm. Lapena: To conduct investigation, your honor.

Sen. Bam: You're saying Commissioner Lapena, sa internal investigation niyo, wala kayong nahanap na BOC official na involved dito sa kasong ito at binigay niyo sa Ombudsman. Hindi ba pinasok kayo diyan para malinis ang BOC.

Comm. Lapena: Yes your honor, but that's how the investigation went. That's one point of reform, your honor. That's why I created an Internal Affairs Service of the BOC. What happened is, the one conducting the investigation, the CIIS, are the people from CIIS also.

Sen. Bam: Kumbaga, ang tingin niyo walang kakayahan ang BOC na imbestigahan ang sarili niya kaya niyo inilipat sa Ombudsman. Is that the logic there?

Comm. Lapena: May kakayahan your honor but they are the investigation, the CIIS, that's the result of the investigation that was forwarded and filed with the case I cited earlier your honor.

Sen. Bam: Iyong CIIS niyo mayroong investigation. Mayroon bang nahanap na BOC employee o official involved sa inyong investigation ang CIIS. Wala ho silang nahanap?

Comm. Lapena: Unfortunately, your honor, no BOC personnel appeared as respondents, your honor.

Sen. Bam: Commissioner Lapena, ang hirap pong tanggapin nun. Hindi naman ito mangyayari kung walang kasabwat sa loob ng BOC. You agreed to that in previous hearings tapos wala kayong kinasuhan in the end.

Comm. Lapena: If I have other investigators, maybe your honor I might be able to find some people in the Bureau of Customs to be also liable your honor.

Sen. Bam: Lahat ng nabanggit na BOC officials na either nabanggit ni Mr. Taguba o ni Sen. Lacson, mayroon ba sa kanilang na-suspend, natanggal at kinasuhan at this point, ngayong January 29, 2018. Mayroon po bang sinuspend, tinanggal, kinasuhan sa dinami-daming nabanggit na BOC officials and employees.

Comm. Lapena: None as of this time your honor, but most of them are included in the PDEA case. We are awaiting the resolution of the case which is under review by the DOJ.

Sen. Bam: May balita na mayroong tinanggal sa listahang iyon. Are you aware of this occurrence sa DOJ?

Comm. Lapena: I am not aware your honor.

Sen. Bam: Hindi ba kataka-taka Commissioner Lapena na sa dinami-dami ng hearing natin dito, ni isang BOC official ang na-suspend, tinanggal o kinasuhan man lang sa isyung ito? You can speak freely dahil hindi ka naman kasama doon. Pumasok po kayo pagkatapos. Don't you think na irregular po na walang ni isang na-suspend o nakasuhan man lang.

Comm. Lapena: I agree your honor. There is one, Mr. Lambert Hilario.

Sen. Bam: Anong nangyari kay Hilario?

Comm. Lapena: He was suspended, and he was moved to the Customs Monitoring Unit, your honor.

Sen. Bam: So hindi siya tinanggal, nilipat lang ng opisina?

Comm. Lapena: Yes your honor, because separating or dismissing one will have to go through a due process, your honor.

Sen. Bam: Captain Faeldon, former Commissioner Faeldon, kayo ho ang nagsasabi na wala kayong kinalaman sa pagpasok ng shabu, is that correct?

Comm. Faeldon: Yes, your honor.

Sen. Bam: Tama ho ba na walang ni isang BOC employee at official ang nakasuhan sa kasong ito.

Comm. Faeldon: Atty. Hilario, the one Commissioner Lapena mentioned, iyon po ang kinasuhan namin initially.

Sen. Bam: Kinasuhan niyo pero nilipat din lang ng opisina.

Comm. Faeldon: hindi ko na alam because six months na po...

Sen. Bam: First of all, Captain Faeldon lahat ng tanong ko para sa iyo talaga at inipon ko ito ng ilang buwan. Nagpapasalamat ako na andito ka. Tama ho sabihin na hindi ito mangyayari kung walang kasabwat sa BOC.

Comm. Faeldon: I do not want to speculate because ito ang problema, when you start to speculate and start destroying people's name. I want to speak doon sa facts. Iyong nangyari talaga nakalusot at hinabol po natin. Iyon lang ang kaya kong sabihin, but if I speculate...

Sen. Bam: Wala akong sinasabing individuals. Ang sinasabi ko lang, mangyayari ba ito kung ginagawa ng BOC ang trabaho niya o kung walang kasabwat sa BOC, will this happen?

Comm. Faeldon: For 117 years, the BOC is never been at par with the rest of the world as far as control of shipment to the country is concerned. When I assumed, it's only eight percent ang capability natin sa X-Ray. I wonder what we have done in the past years. And then itong computer system that is supposed to detect anomalies in the documents, document investigation lang iyon, kung nagsinungaling si Mr. Taguba at sinabi niya na iyan ay footwear, iyong risk management system, hindi niya iyon made-detect. And when we cannot subject a shipment to x-ray, therefore you cannot find out what was supposed to be footwear is a shipment of shabu. Ito ang dapat nating pag-usapan natin sir.

Sen. Bam: I'll stop you there. In fairness sa recommendations naman ng Blue Ribbon Committee, that's covered already. Yung mga possible changes. But, ang sinasabi ho ninyo, posibleng nakalusot to. Posibleng nakalusot to ng walang kakuntsaba sa BOC. That's what your saying. Posible po yon?

Comm. Faeldon: Nakalusot po siya because the BOC is incapable of stopping it, including infrastructures, systems, computers and personnel. It's a conglomeration of all the weaknesses of the bureau. And that includes the possibility that there might be some collusion between employees of the bureau and the likes of Mr. Taguba.

Sen. Bam: Let me go on that point and this is my final point, Mr. Chair. Dun po sa speech ni Senator Lacson, meron sya doong limang players na binanggit. And throughout the hearings, naibabanggit po paulit-ulit yung mga pangalan na to and in fact, yung mga kasama niyo po sa ibang opisina, binanggit din naman na nagpapahiwatig ang mga taong ito. Gusto ko pong tanungin sa inyo directly, isa isahin po natin. Yung David Tan group, meron po bang tumawag, nagpameeting, kumausap, nag-offer ng pera po sa inyo?

Comm. Faeldon: No, your honor.

Sen. Bam: Si Kimberly Gamboa?

Comm. Faeldon: No, your honor. But I met Kimberly Gamboa in my office. Hindi ko sya kilala because binitbit siya ng isang retired general na humingi ng appointment sakin. And then later on, sinabihan ko yung general na to na 'Sir, we are trying to fix this Bureau of Customs and now you are here trying to negotiate the release of this shipment. Nung lumabas yung heneral na yan, saka ko nalaman na siya pala yung Kimberly na yan.

Sen. Bam: Sino yang heneral na yan?

Comm. Faeldon: Yes, sir. Retired Coast guard chief. Si... He used to be a coast guard commandant

Sen. Bam: So itong admiral...

Comm. Faeldon: He tried to..

Sen. Bam: Hindi niyo ho maalala yung pangalan na yon? You can tell the committee

Comm. Faeldon: I can recall.

Sen. Bam: Can you tell the committee

Comm. Faeldon: He is Class 74

Sen. Bam: Sino po

Comm. Faeldon: Isa lang naman yun na class 74 na naging commandant ng coast guard. Yun pala yung Kimberly. You're asking of Kimberly. I've met him once pero hindi ko alam na bitbit pala siya nung

Sen. Bam: Bago matapos ang meeting, I want you to recall the name of this admiral para mabigay nyo po ito sa komite. Bitbit poi tong Kimberly Gamboa. Eh nung kinausap kayo, nagrerequest na may mailabas kayong shipment na na-hold?

Comm. Faeldon: Yes.

Sen. Bam: May inoffer ba silang pera?

Comm. Faeldon: Wala. Kasi nahuli po namin yan, it was recommended for WSD for hold by our investigators because nag-underweight po siya ng 20% of the weight. This is a shipment of tiles. So hinold namin. So itong si Sir, I do not know that he's part of that shipment pala. I thought he is just a call of a senior in my office.

Sen. Bam: Hindi nyo alam na yun yung rason?

Comm. Faeldon: No po. Hindi ko po alam.

Sen. Bam: Do you remember the name of this admiral? Na nanghihimasok po sa inyong operations?

Comm: Faeldon: Di pa po Sir.

Sen. Bam: Manny Santos? Manny Santos group, meron nagpahiwatid na sa inyo?

Comm. Faeldon: No po

Sen. Bam: Teves group?

Comm. Faeldon: Si Teves group, ito po yung experience ko sa kanila.

Sen. Bam: Sige po.

Comm. Faeldon: When I was in office in June 30, nagtext sakin si deputy commissioner Nepumuceno. Sabi nya com, meron diyang 86 na nakahold na sibuyas. 86 containers, 40 foot. Ngayon, ilalabas na po ito. Pinirmahan na si commissioner Lina yung release nya. But I believe, sabi ni deputy commissioner Nepomuceno, may problema ito. Yung 12 na containers, nakasakay na po sa sasakyan. Ilalabas na po yung 12. Pwede nyo pang habulin ngayon. This is June 30, 2016. So hinabol namin, within that day pinahold ko yon. Now later on, I found out later on, itong 86 na sibuyas na to, the biggest apprehension of onion in the history of the customs. Prior to that, ang pinakamarami, tatlong container lang. Ngayon, nalaman ko na kina Teves pala ito. So they tried to negotiate for the release.

Sen. Bam: Kanino po sila nagnegotiate?

Comm. Faeldon: Iyong pagrelease? They personally sent... sorry I can no longer remember but they sent a representative saying that pwede bang marelease yung... But we conducted a hearing and then I stand firm na hindi kasi may violation ito. Bawal yung red onions eh. So sa madaling sabi, Sineize naming po yun at nabuwak talaga. Yun ang experience ko dyan.

Sen. Bam: Meron po bang inoffer na pera sa inyo?

Comm. Faeldon: They did not offer money. The next experience I had with them is I think few months after that meron nanaman akong nahold na shipment na mayroong problema na nalaman ko na kanila nanaman around 35 containers na general merchandise. Nahold nanaman po iyon. Those are my experiences as far as the Teveses are concerned.

Sen. Bam: And syempre ho yung panglima ay yung Davao group. Tanungin ko ho kayo. Iyong Tita Nani. Kilala nyo po ba si Tita Nani?

Comm. Faeldon: Iyong kilala kong Tita Nani ay yung nandun sa si Nani Co. But according to Mr. Taguba hindi yata yun so I do not know who is this

Sen. Bam: Sino ho si Nani Co?

Comm. Faeldon: She is a division chief na nagretire na po iyan.

Sen.Bam: Lalaki o babae?

Comm. Faeldon: Babae po, sa customs.

Sen. Bam: Yun ba si Tita Nani, Mark?

Mark Tsguba: No, your honor.

Sen. Bam: Commissioner Lapena, nahanap nyo po ba si Tita Nani?

Comm. Lapena: No, your honor.

Sen. Bam: Mahahanap pa ba natin si Tita Nani?

Comm. Lapena: I am getting information about Tita Nani your honor and I think we should be able to identify her

Sen. Bam: Just going back to the question on Kimberly Gamboa, si Admiral Carlos ba o Admiral Abinoja yung nagpunta po sa inyo?

Comm. Faeldon: Admiral Carlos, your honor.

Sen. Bam: Mr. Chairman just to go back, nasa Davao group na tayo. Tita Nani, iba ho ang tinutukoy niyo. Mans Carpio, Paulo Duterte, at any point did they visit your office. Tumawag po ba sila sa inyo at may hininging pabor sa inyo?

Comm. Faeldon: I've answered this but I'll answer this, your honor. Mans Carpio visited my office once and the discussion was about the case they have been handling several years back pa. That is the discussion we've had. As far as vice mayor Paulo Duterte is concerned, he has never visited me in my office. They have never asked me or requested from me anything that is illegal. Legal, we have known each other for a long time so we have a lot of friendly discussion, we played basketball together in Davao even prior to the election so there are a lot of dicussion we have, but they have never requested anything illegal.

Sen. Bam: Sinasabi niyo walang illegal na request, ano iyong legal na request?

Comm. Faeldon: There's nothing to do with Customs activity, your honor.

Sen. Bam: Kinaklaro mo ngayon na iyong mga nababanggit na pangalan dito, hindi ka tinawagan, hindi ka binisita, walang ni-request sa iyo? Is that correct?

Comm. Faeldon: I have confirmed the two I have experience with the two...

Sen. Bam. With regard to Atty. Carpio, binisita ka for another matter that was clarified in this hearing also. Pagdating kay vice mayor Duterte, tinawagan ka ba, binisita ka ba o may ni-request ba na anything with regard to the operation of Customs. Just to be clear lang.

Comm. Faeldon: He has never visited me in my office, but we have met several times in other places in Davao. We have known each other even prior to the election. I would like to repeat that they have never requested any illegal request as far as the Customs is concerned.

Sen. Bam: Never kang tinawagan at may hiningi para sa Customs?

Comm. Faeldon: Any illegal wala po.

Sen. Bam: Pero may hiningi na legal. Comm. Faeldon: Everybody has been asking the same, pag may made-delay na mga papers, that's everybody's trying to deal for every office na mayroong legal request. Bakit ganito ito. He's not peculiar person who have done that. Hindi siya nag-iisa siguro na nagre-request. There's so many people requesting legal and reminding you of your job.

Sen. Bam: I'm sorry, I want to be clear lang, Captain, kasi medyo nag-iiba nang konti, at least yung perception ko, parang nag-iiba yung sinasabi mo. Merong legal na request?

Faeldon: I cannot remember any legal request that he has done.

Sen. Bam: So wala?

Faeldon: As far as illegal is concerned, wala po.

Sen. Bam: I'm sorry, can you just be categorical nalang. Yes or no nalang. Walang illegal na request?

Faeldon: Wala po.

Sen. Bam: Okay, meron bang legal na request?

Faeldon: I cannot remember, your honor. As far as the Bureau of Concern is - Bureau of Customs is concerned...

Sen. Bam: You cannot remember, because marami namang gumagawa niyan?

Faeldon: Your honor, because if it is not so important, it will never really be remembered.

Sen. Bam: Okay, so merong request na hindi importante?

Faeldon: Uh, it's not really important, it's not really illegal, then you can never remember that because you will be receiving a lot of request everyday.

Sen. Bam: I'm not saying may illegal na ginagawa. Tinatanong ko lang, sinabi niyo, maraming nagrerequest - sige, baguhin ko po yung tanong. Meron bang nagrerequest na illegal sa inyo?

Faeldon: Illegal?

Sen. Bam: Yes.

Faeldon: Opo, yung mga nabanggit ko po kanina, sir.

Sen. Bam: Okay. Sinu-sino po? Oh, mga politiko. Sabihin niyo na. Para tapos na to.

Faeldon: Sige po. Isa-isahin po natin. I'm sorry, I would like to apologize for the following Senators, dahil wala po kayo dito. I'm apologizing to you. But, because I did not- I did not approve their request. And these are the requests, you're asking, your honor.

Sen. Bam: Go ahead.

Faeldon: Okay, I will start with-

Sen. Gordon: Before you do that, were they illegal or legal requests? Faeldon: As far as I'm concerned, it's illegal.

Sen. Gordon: Okay, go. Go ahead.

Faeldon: I will start with Senator Drilon. As early as 2016, he has requested me to meet with him here at the Senate, twice, and asked me to sign a Memorandum of Agreement between the BOC and the office of Ms. chairperson, Maria Serena I. Diokno, the chairperson of National Historical Commission of the Philippines, agreeing that the Bureau of Customs, the Customs House in Iloilo will be renovated using funds, I don't know if that was located by Senator Drilon, to the *inaudible* shipping, and after the renovation, it will be converted into a museum, and the Bureau of Customs will just occupy the third floor of that building. Okay, and he insisted that I will be signing that MOA, twice, I attended this meeting, and I said 'Sir, hindi po puwede.' And on the third, I have forcibly changed the provisions of the MOA and sign it. I never accepted it, why, because meron na po tayong karanasan sir, eh. Na, yung Cebu, ginawa iyan noong time ni President Arroyo, na Malacanang of the South. And until today, yung Cebu employees namin are housed in a condemned building. So ayaw nating maulit iyon, na tatanggalin na naman yung mga Customs diyan, at wala siyang paglilipatan. These are, sa tingin ko, hindi ito tama na request ng isang Senador. At talagang tinanggihan ko siya nang twice doon sa meeting na iyan, in fact those two meetings, then Chairperson Diokno was also present because the reason to me why they want me to sign it already is, two years na itong pondo na ito, marerevert back na to treasury. And it's now my fault na hindi magawa yung project nila. And again, I will compromise the interest of the Bureau of Customs. That's one. So I'm sorry Senator Drilon, wala ka dito, but that is exactly one to start.

Another Senator who requested me, I think illegal - idol kita Tito Sen, pasensya na. Pero this is illegal as far as i'm concerned. As early as 2016, twice, personally here, he asked me, to appoint one official as the- of the Bureau of Customs as a Director of Intelligence. *inaudible* Dalawang beses niya ako personal na kinausap, so I cannot say yes or no, sabi ko, Sir, titignan natin. I interviewed this official, sabi ko, ilang taon ka na dito sa Customs? Sabi niya, pangalanan ko na po, si Eric Albano. Sabi niya, 42 years na ako, sir. Sabi ko okay pala itong recommendation ni Senator. Kasi beterano na. And yung sunod kong question, Sir, eh boss, sa 42 years, ilan na po bang nahuli niyong empleyado ng Customs na involved sa corruption? Sabi niya sa akin, Sir, wala pa po akong alam, so muntik akong mahulog sa upuan ko, kasi in 42 na po siya sa Intelligence ng Customs, so para sa akin, again, these are illegals eh. You insist on recommending appointments of such officials, na kagaya niyan, na hindi naman talaga - See, 42 years, wala pa siyang alam na nahuli na kahit isang empleyado na tungkol sa corruption, so ayan. So Sen pasensya na, tinulugan ko yung question.

Sen. Bam: I think, Senator Sotto and Drilon, hopefully they can come down. But parang hindi naman ata ganun ka-illegal yung nagrerecommend ka ng tao, or meron kang project na gustong matuloy, but ang tanong ko, pagdating sa Customs, yung may pinapalabas na goods, pinapabago na mga decisions ng Customs, meron ba sa mga pulitiko o sa mga grupong ito, ang nagagawa po niyan, nagrequest po kayo.

Faeldon: As far as importation is concerned, wala po. But you know, those requests are the ones really affecting the demoralization of the Bureau. Para sa akin, ano yan eh, form of corruption na yung mga ganiyan eh. Gusto nating ahensiya, sir, ay dapat iwasan natin yung mga ganiyan.

Sen. Bam: Oh, Commissioner, let's go sa mga illegal na request. Kanina, sabi niyo maraming nagbibigay ng legal na request. Ano naman yung, para sayo, ang legal na request?

Faeldon: Let's say, sir, merong application for Customs-Bonded Warehouse. At sa tingin nila, six months na yung application nila, at hindi gumagalaw, at tinawagan ka. Kung may sinabi, sir, pakitignan po kung ano yung problema nung request namin for Customs- Bonded Warehouse, kasi six months na po kaming nakapagsubmit, ay wala pang approval. So I consider those a legal request.

Sen. Bam: A legal request?

Faeldon: No, because that's our job.

Sen. Bam: Okay. And kanina, tinatanong ko po kayo, ano yung legal na request ni Vice Mayor Duterte, at sabi niyo, marami namang nagsasabi ng legal na request. Kung legal naman, baka pwede niyo namang pong sabihin ngayon para matapos na yung issue.

Faeldon: I really cannot remember any specific request, I am sure of that. Because if there is, matatandaan ko po.

Sen. Bam: Okay. For the record lang, tanungin ko lang si Mark Taguba. Mark, at any point, nagbigay ka ba ng pera kay Captain Faeldon?

Taguba: No, your honor.

Sen. Bam: Alright. Sino ang sinabi mo na nagrepresent kay Captain Faeldon doon sa mga binigyan mo?

Taguba: Your Honor, yung- ang sinabi ko po, nirerepresent nila yung Davao Group. Yung Tita Nani.

Sen, Bam: No, that's Davao Group. Kasama ba si Commissioner Faeldon doon?

Taguba: I don't think so.

Sen. Bam: So wala kang- just to be fair, wala kang binigyan na nagsabi, para kay Commissioner Faeldon ito?

Taguba: Wala po.

Sen. Bam: Alright. Just to be clear, Commissioner Faeldon. Let me finally ask - last question na, Mr. Chairman. Commissioner Faeldon. Ah- Former Commissioner Faeldon. Itong pagpasok ng droga sa ating bansa, isa sa mga pinakamalaking issue, considering na ito nga yung main thrust ng gobyerno, pumasok siya, sabi nga ng mga Senador, hindi naman ito back door, front door ito dumaan. Sa tingin niyo po ba, yung Customs ngayon, may kakayanan na itigil ang mga ganitong klaseng pagpasok ng droga sa ating bansa? Is the Customs now capable of stopping this type of drug dealing or drug smuggling sa ating bansa, or currently, at risk pa rin tayo sa pagpasok ng droga?

Faeldon: We are still at risk. The only way we can be 100% sure of, that entry of any contrabands, including drugs, *inaudible*, itong mga chemical, biological, radiological - part kasi iyan ng trabaho ng Customs, is to put in place infrastructure that has the capability to detect these upon entry into our territory. We are only talking about the more than 3/4ths of this country, we're not even talking about our inability to stop entry of any illegal in the areas where there are no government law enforcement agencies. So, if we want to stop any entry of not just drugs but including the more dangerous *inaudible*, these are the chemical, biological, radiological, *inaudible*, we have to put in place, not a perfect but a credible border patrol capability or border security capability, and that is between the mandate of the Bureau of Customs. Ito yung kailangan natin i-trace, that includes infrastructures. Hindi puwedeng - because the smugglers of this, meron kaming nahuli nung 2016, 180 kilos ng shabu doon sa Apari, eh, idinala po ito sa bangka, sa bangka binaba, at yung bagka ay idinala sa Apari na hindi ito dinaan sa pier/port at inilibing po iyan doon at nakuha natin yung impormasyon at nahuli natin doon. So its not just in the ports, but including the very long coastal areas of our country. So ito yung, until we can seal that, hindi natin kaya sabihing 100%, no, the smugglers will stop bringing into the ports of this country, illegal commodities, if eventually, we can have those infrastructures in place between our ports, edi doon sila sa mga walang ports, eh wala naman tayong kakayahan doon. So, right now, I am very sure, Sir, that we are not yet able to seal completely the borders of this country.

Sen. Bam: Commissioner Lapena, final question, may nagtatanong dito sa likod. Final na final na, Chairman. Totoo ba na nireshuffle niyo yung mga collectors ng BOC? Is that true?

Lapena: Yes, your honor.

Sen. Bam: But, there were only three areas na hindi niyo ginalaw? Totoo ba iyon? O lahat ginalaw ninyo?

Lapena: Practically all, your honor, except for the port of Davao, port of Cagayan de Oro, and Batangas, your honor.

Sen. Bam: And Batangas. May I know why you chose not to shuffle Batangas, Cagayan de Oro, and- ito yung mga pinakamalalaking port aside from Manila, hindi ba?

Lapena: Yes, your honor. Outside of Manila. It's followed by Batangas, and then Subic, Cebu, and then you have Davao, and then Cagayan De Oro.

Sen. Bam: Just for the record, Commissioner, bakit po yung Batangas, Davao at CDO, hindi po ginalaw yung mga collector doon?

Lapena: Because they hit their target, your honor.

Sen. Bam: So yung paggalaw nito, dahil sa target, hindi dahil sa investigation niyo dito sa corruption issues?

Lapena: It's part, Your Honor. But I said during -when I assumed as Commissioner, that I will be giving clean slate to everyone, but with one strike rule, your honor. And that one strike rule is performance- based, your honor.

Sen. Bam: So performing po si Batangas, Davao and Cagayan de Oro?

Lapena: That's right, your honor.

Sen. Bam: Kaya hindi na siya ginalaw.

Lapena: That's right, your honor.

Sen. Bam: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.