MANILA, Philippines — The chairman of the House of Representatives’ committee on dangerous drugs castigated officials of the Bureau of Customs for the “glaring ineptitude” that allowed P6.4 billion worth of crystal meth or “shabu” to slip into the country.
At a hearing of the committee Tuesday, Surigao del Norte Representative Robert “Ace” Barbers also said he has been receiving reports of alleged attempts to cover up the discovery of the drugs in Valenzuela City.
“I was given the information that there were two stories that were concocted by no less than the (Customs) Commissioner (Nicanor Faeldon),” he said.
Barbers then suspended the hearing and called for an executive session with officials of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, which helped conduct the raid in May.
Customs officials led by Faeldon attended the hearing.
The House is also expected to present Larribert Hilario, chief of the BOC’s risk management office, who was earlier “verbally suspended” by Faeldon for allegedly failing to encode key information that could have flagged the system on the risk criteria, which inspectors use to stop suspect cargo.
