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MANILA – The Bureau of Customs lawyer whom House of Representatives leaders took to task for calling Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez an “imbecile” in a Facebook post will stay at her post, Commissioner Nicanor Faeldon said Thursday, despite advice from the congressmen for him to weigh whether or not his chief executive assistant was worth keeping.
During a joint inquiry on the P6.4 billion worth of shabu that were recovered in warehouses in Valenzuela City last May, Majority Floor Leader Rodolfo Fariñas chided Atty. Mandy Anderson for her scathing post against Alvarez on Facebook.
"You believe, as a government official, that you can call the fourth highest official in the land an imbecile?" Farinas told Anderson, the head executive assistant of Customs Commissioner Nicanor Faeldon.
Anderson defended herself, saying she has the "freedom to express" her opinion on elected officials.
Fariñas then warned that all appropriation revenues originate from the House of Representatives, and an officer calling the Speaker "imbecile" may put in danger the function of the agency.
Anderson apologized for her post.
"I would like to apologize to the body and to the other lawmakers who are not here. That was not directed to you and I did not think of you when I did that," she said.
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“President Rodrigo Duterte himself asked me to reform this bureau and I believe, hiring skilled and competent employees who have the highest moral decency and integrity is vital in this transformation,” Faeldon said in a statement to media on Thursday. And, he added, Atty. Mandy Mercado Anderson fit the bill perfectly, so he could not allow the incident to be the basis for letting go of her.
“I will let Atty. Anderson remain in the Bureau as we need more people like her whose character is untainted with politics and corruption,” he added.
Nonetheless, he stressed that Anderson’s comment – for which she apologized to the House panel conducting the hearing on Customs’ performance – was her personal opinion, and did not reflect the position of the BOC.
“I would like to make it clear that the views and opinions expressed by Atty. Anderson on her Facebook account are solely hers and does not represent the views of the Bureau of Customs. The BOC does not have any inclination towards any of the politicians but we only follow the directive of President Rodrigo Duterte – that is to have an honest, clean and corrupt-free Bureau of Customs.”
Faeldon acknowledged that Facebook is a social media platform readily accessible to the public. “I am not condoning the action of my Chief of Staff, but Atty. Anderson is entitled to her own opinion.”
“As a public servant, I believe that our loyalty should always be to the public. We do not work for anyone but the public.”
Anderson’s personal opinion does not reflect or affect her efficacy in public service, he stressed. “We will remain firm in our resolve to provide good public service. The Bureau of Customs remains true to the call of the President.”
Source: Interaksyon
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