AFP sending contingent to Bureau of Customs

October 29, 2018

A composite military contingent will be sent to the Bureau Customs (BOC), the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) announced Monday.

Brig. Gen. Edgard Arevalo, AFP spokesman, said the deployment is temporary wile the new BoC Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero is assembling his own team.

“The AFP has taken cognizance of the directive of the President to support the Bureau of Customs (BoC) in the performance of its mandate. We are thankful to the President for his trust and confidence on the integrity and professionalism of the personnel of AFP,” Arevalo said.

President Rodrigo Duterte on Sunday ordered the AFP to take over operations of BOC for the time being to assist Guerrero, a former AFP chief of staff.

Earlier, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana endorsed sending soldiers on a temporary basis.

“The AFP chief of staff, Gen. Carlito Galvez Jr., concurs with Sen. Delfin Lorenzana of the Department of National Defense that the AFP personnel to be assigned to the BoC will be a temporary duty,” Arevalo said.

“Such capability will be in, but not limited to, intelligence, technical expertise and support and operations,” Arevalo said.

“We will be sending soldiers to the BoC based on particular and specific requirements of Commissioner Guerrero,” Arevalo said. DMS