MIDNIGHT APPOINTMENTS ROCK BUREAU OF CUSTOMS! 20 PERSONNEL SELECTED AMID LEADERSHIP SHAKE-UP — QUALIFIED OR PROTECTED BY POWERFUL BACKERS?
Dr. Bernie Anabo Jr 
A storm of questions is brewing inside the Bureau of Customs following the sudden selection of 20 personnel for various positions amid a major leadership transition at the agency.
The timing is raising eyebrows.
Following the departure of Commissioner Ariel F. Nepomuceno, who was transferred to another government agency on November 12, 2026, a selection notice covering 20 personnel for different positions in the Bureau has drawn attention and prompted questions about the circumstances surrounding the appointments.
Was this simply a regular personnel selection process, or was there an unusual rush to fill positions before the leadership transition was completed?
THE BIG QUESTION: ARE THESE APPOINTEES FULLY QUALIFIED, OR DID SOME HAVE POWERFUL BACKERS WORKING BEHIND THE SCENES?
Let us be clear: there is no established evidence that the selected candidates committed wrongdoing or that the selection process was manipulated. But the timing and circumstances deserve a thorough and transparent explanation.
In an institution handling billions in government revenue, fighting smuggling and enforcing the country’s customs laws, transparency must never be optional!
20 PERSONNEL SELECTED — WHO ARE THEY?
According to the notice issued by the Bureau of Customs Human Resource Merit Promotion and Selection Board, 20 candidates were selected for various positions and assignments.
SEVEN CUSTOMS OPERATIONS OFFICERS V— PORT OF MANILA
1. Laura Arevalo Balaoro
2. Abolkhayr Laguindab Cali
3. Karen Uy Chan
4. Diana Tenorio Dimayuga
5. Justine John Caiquet Espineli
6. Marie Danica Saura
7. Dorevie Pudonas Suaybaguio
OTHER CUSTOMS OPERATIONS ASSIGNMENTS
8. Madzhar Lasamul Jalaluddin — Port of San Fernando
9. Charles Erwin Ditan Aguila — Departure Operations Division, NAIA
10. John Dionisio Punzalan Caraos — Departure Operations Division, NAIA
11. Hirosika Ferrer Liscano — Departure Operations Division, NAIA
12. Johnorel Sald ua Sionillo — Departure Operations Division, NAIA
13. Marlon Reyes Atengco — Arrival Operations Division, NAIA
14. Julius Batucan Olango — Arrival Operations Division, NAIA
TWO ATTORNEY II APPOINTMENTS — PORT OF MANILA
15. Rodel Paul Ramos Dario
16. Nilo Miranda Demerey
ONE ATTORNEY III — NAIA CUSTOMSHOUSE
17. Paolo Antoniou Domingo Trinidad
THREE CUSTOMS OPERATIONS OFFICERS III
18. Mitchelle Bernardo Pagcu — Port of San Fernando
19. Gillyn Velasco Aurelia — Port of Tacloban
20. Laude Olingay Gonzales — Sub-Port of Catbalogan, Port of Tacloban
The positions carry Salary Grades 20, 18 and 16, depending on the appointment.
These are significant government positions carrying responsibilities that can directly affect Customs operations and public service.
WHO RECOMMENDED THEM? WHO SCREENED THEM?
These are questions that the Customs Human Resource Merit Promotion and Selection Board and the concerned authorities must answer:
1. Did all 20 candidates undergo a fair, competitive and transparent selection process?
2. What are their educational backgrounds, professional qualifications, work experience and performance records?
3. How many are existing Customs employees, and how many are external applicants?
4. Were other qualified and more experienced personnel considered?
5. Who recommended or endorsed the selected candidates?
6. Were all appointments based strictly on merit, fitness, competence and qualifications?
And the most sensitive question:
WERE THERE ANY SPECIAL FAVORS, POLITICAL ENDORSEMENTS OR BACKER ARRANGEMENTS BEHIND THESE APPOINTMENTS?
These are questions, not accusations. But the Bureau must address them openly to prevent suspicion from undermining the credibility of its personnel system.
WHAT ABOUT LONG-SERVING CUSTOMS EMPLOYEES?
What happens to veteran Customs personnel who have spent years serving the Bureau, gaining experience and patiently waiting for opportunities for promotion?
Are their qualifications receiving equal consideration?
Will merit and performance prevail, or will personal connections and endorsements carry greater weight?
The government must ensure that appointments and promotions are not treated as rewards for political connections or personal favors.
The Civil Service merit system must be respected. No employee should feel that professional competence is less valuable than having a powerful sponsor.
WHO AUTHORIZED THE TIMING OF THESE APPOINTMENTS?
This is another important question that deserves an answer.
The public deserves to know when the selection process began, when the candidates were evaluated, when the final recommendations were approved, and when the notice was officially released.
Were these selections already in process before the leadership transition, or were they finalized during the change in leadership?
Who authorized the release of the selection notice, and what administrative considerations determined its timing?
These questions are essential in establishing whether the process followed normal government procedures.
The incoming leadership should not automatically be associated with decisions made before its assumption of office. Responsibility must be established through documentary evidence and the actual participation of the officials concerned.
NOVEMBER 26 DEADLINE: CIVIL SERVICE REQUIREMENTS MUST BE CHECKED!
The second page of the selection notice states that documentary requirements relating to the Civil Service Commission attestation of appointments must be submitted through the Human Resource Management Division no later than November 26, 2026.
This makes proper verification even more important.
The concerned authorities must ensure that all requirements are complete, qualifications are properly documented and applicable Civil Service rules are strictly followed.
No shortcuts. No special privileges. No exceptions!
THE PUBLIC DESERVES ANSWERS!
This issue is not about attacking the 20 selected individuals. Every candidate deserves fair treatment and the presumption that the selection was conducted properly.
But public appointments must withstand public scrutiny.
If all 20 candidates are fully qualified and the selection process was aboveboard, then the Bureau should have no difficulty explaining the basis for its decisions.
If irregularities are discovered, the appropriate authorities must investigate and hold accountable anyone proven responsible.
The Bureau of Customs is too important to become a playground for political connections, personal favors or private interests.
Billions of pesos in government revenue are at stake. The integrity of the institution must never be compromised by questionable personnel practices.
MERIT SYSTEM OR PATRONAGE SYSTEM?
That is the question that must be answered.
The Filipino people deserve a Customs Bureau where qualifications matter more than connections, competence matters more than endorsements, and integrity matters more than influence.
IF THE APPOINTMENTS ARE CLEAN, SHOW THE QUALIFICATIONS. IF THE PROCESS IS FAIR, EXPLAIN THE SELECTION. AND IF THERE WERE IRREGULARITIES, INVESTIGATE AND EXPOSE THEM!
The Bureau of Customs belongs to the Filipino people — NOT TO POWERFUL BACKERS, NOT TO POLITICAL ALLIES, AND NOT TO ANYONE SEEKING TO TURN PUBLIC POSITIONS INTO PERSONAL PRIVILEGES.
IN CUSTOMS, THE ONLY QUALIFICATION THAT SHOULD MATTER IS MERIT, INTEGRITY AND THE CAPACITY TO SERVE THE NATION!
