“I agree with the President’s SONA observation that the Bureau has not performed in accordance with the expectations of the people,” Lim said in a statement. “In view of this, I see no other recourse but to leave this office.”
The BOC was one of the three government agencies Aquino scolded during his fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday. The others were the Bureau of Immigration (BI) and the National Irrigation Administration (NIA).
Immediately after Aquino’s SONA, Customs Commissioner Ruffy Biazon offered his resignation, but it was rejected by the President.
According to Lim, as a member of the Cabinet, he is “privy to the truths that ring out in (Aquino’s) speech and am profoundly moved.”
“It is in this spirit that I tendered my resignation as Deputy Commissioner for Intelligence of the Bureau of Customs,” said the retired military general who was involved in several coup attempts in the past, including one against Aquino’s mother, the late President Corazon Aquino, in 1989.
Lim said this was not the first time he asked to be removed from his post in the BOC, which he held for 22 months.
“During my tenure, (Executive) Secretary Pacquito Ochoa will attest that I had asked to be relieved of my duties no less than six times, and in all those times have been told to wait for vacancies and possible transfer to other agencies.”
Malacañang has yet to comment on Lim’s resignation. — Rouchelle Dinglasan/KBK, GMA News
