MANILA (October 25)- President Rodrigo Duterte has “promoted” General Isidro Lapeña to a Cabinet position as head of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) and appointed Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) administrator Rey Leonardo Guerrero take the helm of the Bureau of Customs (BoC).
“General Lapeña will move to TESDA. I will promote you to a Cabinet position. General ‘Jagger’ Guerrero, you are to move to the Bureau of Customs,” Duterte said during the 117th Anniversary Celebration of the Philippine Coast Guard.
Lapeña welcomed Duterte’s decision to remove him from the BOC. “It’s a way of instituting reforms in the Bureau of Customs and I respect that,” he said. “I’m given another job. That’s a promotion, cabinet secretary. I would like to thank the President for another opportunity to serve in another capacity.”
Duterte also ordered a freeze in all current Customs department heads. He also announced that all Customs commissioners were removed from their posts. “Out lahat (Everybody’s out). To the last man, the commissioners are out, the department heads are out,” Duterte said.- Jiann Padillo/ NewsLine
