Palace receives resignation of two customs officials

August 19, 2017

Two Bureau of Customs officials have resigned following the uproar over the entry of shabu worth P6.4 billion into two warehouses in Valenzuela City.

In a statement, Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella said "the Office of the President has received these resignation letters of Retired Colonel Neil Anthony Estrella, Director III, Bureau of Customs; and Milo Maestrecampo, Import Assessment Services Director, also from the Bureau of Customs."

Maestrecampo said in a House hearing that he would resign from his post and will clear his name.

Both Houses of Congress are investigating why customs officials allowed the shipment  of five wooden crates , which came from China, to enter the green lane and why the conduct of investigation have been slow.

Lawmakers have  called on Customs Commissioner Nicanor Faeldon to resign but President Rodrigo Duterte said he has faith in the former Marine captain.

These crates contained cylinders with a total of 605 transparent plastic bags containing methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu, a complaint by the National Bureau of Investigation on nine persons for alleged drug trafficking said. The total net weight of the specimen is 602.279 kilograms.

The NBI filed the case at the Department of Justice on Tuesday. DMS