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Lacierda: Alvarez resigns as Customs chief


(Updated 2:09 p.m.) A day after Malacañang announced a new chief for the agency, a Palace official said Thursday that Customs Commissioner Angelito Alvarez has formally resigned from the top post. At a press briefing, presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said Alvarez's resignation will take effect on September 16. He said the natural course for an appointed official is to resign when the appointing authority decides to put someone else on the post. "You cannot rise above the source. If the appointing power decides to appoint someone else, the natural course for him is to tender his resignation," he said. On Wednesday, Alvarez went to the office of Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. It was also on that day that Malacañang announced that former Muntinlupa Rep. Ruffy Biazon will be taking over the Customs helm. Biazon was a losing senatorial candidate of the Libaral Party during the May 2010 elections. President Benigno Aquino III is chairman of the LP. In a press statement dated September 14, Alvarez confirmed that he has formally tendered his resignation. He thanked President Aquino for the honor and privilege given to him to serve the him and the Filipino people. "The opportunity to become an agent of change – even for just a short period of time – was a dream come true for which I will be eternally grateful to both the President and Secretary Cesar Purisima," he said. He also wished the Bureau of Customs and his successor the best "and with it comes a sincere offer of assistance to ensure a smooth transition." He also said the President made an excellent choice in Biazon. "Congratulations and best wishes to him. I believe his partnership with General Danny Lim, the incoming Deputy Commissioner for Intelligence, will go a long way in sustaining the momentum we have built towards the transformation of the Bureau of Customs into an efficient, ethical and professional organization," Alvarez said. — Amita Legaspi/RSJ/KBK, GMA News
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