Gov: Erap to stay as DILG chief - ....
Balita News
MANILA, Jan. 02(PNA) -- President Joseph "Erap" Estrada said
Saturday he has neither an immediate plan to vacate his concurrent post
as secretary of the Department of Interior and Local Governments (DILG)
nor to appoint a new commissioner of the Bureau of Customs (BOC).
In the first episode in 1999 his weekly program JEEP ni Erap: Ang
Pasada ng Pangulo, aired over dzMM and the Bureau of Broadcast
Services-Radyo ng Bayan, President Estrada said. "Alam mo, wala pa akong
balak na bitawan sa kasalukuyan kung (posisyon) bilang concurrent
secretary ng DILG (You know, I have no immediate plan to give up my post
as concurrent DILG secretary).
"Ako muna siguro dahil mas marami pang importanteng dapat gampanan
sa DILG. Kaya siguro matatagalan pa (I have to step on due to many
important tasks yet to be done at DILG. It may take longer before I
yield the post), "the President said on the program which is also shown
on the Sarimanok News Network and the People's Television Network, Inc.
(PTV-4).
Mr. Estrada took the post of DILG secretary in a concurrent
capacity when he assumed the presidency on June 30, 1998. In keeping
with his campaign pledge to put top priority to ridding criminality and
restoring peace and order throughout the country.
The President said he is not thinking of appointing a new and
permanent -- Customs chief to replace former Commissioner Perdo Mendoza,
a close family friend he fired last Dec. 23 following a poking incident
at the lobby of the Manila Hotel.
"Ah, siguro mga dalawa. tatlong buwan pa (perhaps, in two or three
months)," he said, adding that he is giving Acting Customs Commissioner
Nelson Tan an opportunity to show what he can do.
In a meeting with Tan on Christmas Day at the President residence
in Greenhills, San Juan, Metro Manila, Mr. Estrada gave the acting BOC
chief two to three months to clean up the agency and lick rampant
smuggling nationwide.
The Estrada administration has toughened its stand against
smuggling with the issuance of Executive Order No. 45 which created a
Presidential Anti-Smuggling Task Force (PASTF).
The President said that if Tan, who is a member of (PASTF) could
produce results, "baka puwede nating gawing permanente (perhaps, he
could be extended a permanent appointment as Customs commissioner)."
Mr. Estrada said he has no contact with former Commissioner
Mendoza. "Ang balita ko, eh, meron daw karamdaman, dinala sa ospital (I
heard he is sick and was brought to a hospital)," he added. (PNA) rgc
/OPS/hlm
PNA 01021822