The most controversial bureau under the administration of Pres. Aquino, Bureau of Customs is now involved in various cases after Customs Commissioner Alberto Lina faces plunder, graft and corruption charges after a case was filed against him. According to congressman-elect Atty. Harry Roque Jr., of Kabayan party-list, Commissioner Lina has never divested himself of his business interests.
The lawyer noted that instead of divesting Lina’s business interest, the commissioner instead used his position as BOC head to ease out his competitors to allegedly amass and corner multi-billion peso contracts for his companies that have direct dealings with the bureau ignoring accusations of clear conflict of interests.
BOC Chairman is now facing is now facing charges of plunder, graft and corruption, criminal conflict of interest, dishonesty, grave abuse of power and criminal neglect lodged with the Ombudsman and Manila courts, said Roque, lawyer for Annabelle Margaroli, authorized representative of Omniprime Marketing Inc., a competitor of Lina’s E-Konek Pilipinas Inc.
Meanwhile, Belle Maestro, Customs media head denied the allegations of Atty. Roque who noted on Sunday that “He [Lina] has divested all his assets that were in confict with his role as Customs commissioner.” The BOC head also noted during the time when he assumed his post as BOC Secretary on April 29, 2015 that he will divest himself from businesses that are directly dealing with the BOC to avoid conflict of interest.
Atty. Roque revealed to the media and reported on The Standard, a week after BOC Chairman made his promise, he allegedly started running after his companies’ competitors. He even noted that it only took two weeks for Lina to cancel a P650-million contract that had undergone two rigorous public biddings to make his company E-Konek, the service provider of Bureau of Customs, to continue reaping the benefits, Roque stated. Lina owns 96.47 percent of E-Konek and remained chairman and major stockholder of his 16 other companies.
According to the case filed by Atty. Roque, based on Securities and Exchange Commission documents, of the 17 companies that Lina owned, six have continued to reap benefits from their direct transactions with the bureau.