Pagcor crony BLURBAL THRUSTS Louie Logarta 08/08/2010

Pagcor crony

BLURBAL THRUSTS Louie Logarta 08/08/2010 The other week, it was the inane idea of introducing “drawerless” desks in the various offices of the Bureau of Customs in a bid to reduce if not eliminate shenanigans in what has been described as one of the most corrupt agencies in government that Commissioner Lito Alvarez was broaching. This time around, he is ordering his people to prepare a list of names of suspected “bigtime smugglers” whose illicit activities over the years have deprived the government of untold billions in duties and taxes so that they may be included in the order of battle his office is drawing up in a desperate bid to make a dent on illegal activities in the country’s waterfronts — because he is being pressured by Malacañang to show results, or else. To veteran Customs reporters, this is nothing but an old recurring refrain that’s been heard many times before, each time a new President assumes command of the ship of state. In the course of covering the Customs beat, I remember coming across the contents of two such lists. The first was in 1992, when President Ramos ordered Commissioner Guillermo Parayno Jr. to submit one to Malacañang, and the second in 1999 when President Estrada directed Commissioner Nelson Tan to do likewise..... MORE Source:  The Daily Tribune URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20100808com4.html

COMMENTARY EDITORIAL Smells like political vendetta FRONTLINE Shortchanging hacienda workers FEATURE Truth meets fiction for S. African crime writers BLURBAL THRUSTS Pagcor crony C.R.O.S.S.R.O.A.D.S What’s Tolentino up to? VIEWPOINTS Gambling RP: A work in progress TABLETS OF STONE Resign now, fly later