TWO proadministration legislators have joined calls for Customs Commissioner Angelito Alvarez to resign in the aftermath of allegations of a whitewash in the investigation of the disappearance of some 2,000 container vans loaded with highly dutiable goods that reportedly deprived the government of P3 billion in taxes.

In seeking Alvarez’s resignation, Rep. Magtanggol Gunigundo of Valenzuela City (Lakas-Kampi-CMD), and Rep. Reynaldo Umali (Liberal Party) of Negros Oriental said they suspected a cover-up in the Bureau of Customs (BOC) probe that Alvarez has initiated.

Gunigundo and Umali said it was impossible for Alvarez not to have detected the scam considering reports that that particular smuggling method has been going on for nearly 10 months.

From January to May, a total of 2,219 containers arrived at the Port of Manila and the Manila International Container Port destined for Batangas Port. Reports said only 309 containers reached Batangas.

When told that Alvarez has said he would not resign and that he should not be blamed because it was he who exposed the large-scale smuggling, Gunigundo said  smuggling was not only the issue against the Customs chief. Besides losing the respect of employees and officials of the BOC, Alvarez has also failed to meet collection targets, Gunigundo said.

Gunigundo also scored Alvarez for allegedly not taking any action against officials involved in the case, such as relieving them from office. This, Gunigundo said, would preclude a cover-up.

“This is a brazen act of smuggling that should have been dealt with immediately and with firm resolve to put the culprits behind bars. Alvarez should tender his letter of resignation,” Gunigundo said in a news forum in Quezon City.

“It appears that he is dragging his feet very, very slowly,” he added.

But customs and internal revenue deputy commissioners on Thursday denied allegations linking them to the disappearance of the containers.

Gregorio Chavez, customs deputy commissioner for assessment and operations, said the accusation against him might be part of the smear campaign by people he was going after under the Run After the Smugglers (RATS) program, which he heads.

“There is no evidence to support the allegations. Why don’t they file a case in court instead of going to the media? They are making the accusations merely to destroy my name. Maybe because I have filed cases against people they want to protect,” Chavez said in a statement.

Umali had earlier accused Chavez and Internal Revenue Deputy Commissioner Estela Sales as protectors of Elvinario “Boy” Valenzuela, who was allegedly involved in the diversion of the container vans.

Chavez said he did not know Valenzuela, saying he could not protect someone he did not know.

He also said his position as customs deputy commissioner for assessment and operations coordinating group and head of the RATS program involved only policy-making and did not entail interaction with importers.

“The release of importations and transhipments is not under my jurisdiction. How can I give protection to somebody when I don’t have the power to do so? My position does not have anything to do with their [importers’] transactions?” Chavez said.

As head of RATS, Chavez said he had been receiving threats through text messages from unidentified persons whom he suspected of involvement in a smear campaign against him and the RATS.

Sales also denied the allegations of Umali and said she would file a case against the legislator.  “I don’t even know the smuggler [Valenzuela]. Congressman Umali has tarnished my dedicated service [to the government]. I will take action….I will sue him for damages,” Sales said.

Umali warned that Alvarez’s slow reaction to the problem could cost the government more than what it had already lost. 

Umali said Alvarez has also failed to blacklist importers and brokers believed to be involved in the container vans caper. “There was clear failure of management and failure of good governance,” said Umali.

Gunigundo said a new witness would be presented at the congressional hearing on the missing containers. He was apparently referring to a driver of the missing container vans who surfaced to implicate the owner of a Manila warehouse in the anomaly that reportedly cost government over P3 billion in unrealized taxes.

The driver who was not identified has reportedly executed an affidavit where he confessed having delivered container vans in a warehouse on Abad Santos Avenue in Binondo, Manila.