‘Pinukpok sariling ulo’ BOC CHIEF LINA IS PNOY’S SELF-INFLICTED WOUND

By Manny Piñol

Bureau of Customs Commissioner Alberto Lina, who administration critics say was appointed to the post to raise P3-B for the Liberal Party’s campaign kitty, is proving to be the proverbial rock which Malacañang picked up to hit its own head.

“Kumuha ng bato at pinukpok sa sariling ulo,” a Pilipino idiom which simply means self inflected injuries, aptly describes the situation the administration is in now as Lina commits one grievous blunder after another.

The anger of the overseas Filipino workers who felt aggrieved that the boxes of goodies they sent back home to their loved ones were subjected to scrutiny by the Customs Bureau has not yet subsided when the government’s graft-ridden bureau committed another unpopular move: it imposed duties and taxes on the championship belt Filipino mixed martial arts fighter who recently won in Macau.

Jujeath Nagaowa, who won the WIBA international light flyweight crown against a Chinese foe, said she didn’t expect to pay out nearly P6,000 for the title she won.

Nagaowa, who also competes in ONE Championship, said the belt came from Florida and was shipped to Macau before it was brought to the Philippines. She said duties had already been paid by her promoters, ABS-CBN said in a report.

Lina, in response, said duties and taxes do not apply to awards and trophies but added that Nagaowa will have to get an exemption from the Department of Finance (DOF).

Lina’s explanation, however, did not sit well with the netizens who were earlier enraged by the BOC’s move to open the Balikbayan Boxes shipped by OFWs to their families back home which usually contains presents and goodies for their children and relatives.

Netizens again lambasted the Aquino administration and continued their on-line campaign to exact payback by urging people not to vote for the ruling Liberal Party’s candidates in the national elections in 2016.

Badly hurt by the twin blunders of Lina and the BOC is Presidential contender Manuel Roxas III, who in spite of President Aquino’s endorsement, has been languishing in the last position of the pack of presidentiables led by Senator Grace Poe, Mayor Rody Duterte and Vice President Jejomar Binay.

Lina’s blunders highlighted the disastrous turn of events for a set-up which, according to Malacañang’s critics, was designed to raise funds for the LP’s campaign in 2016.

Lina was recently appointed by President Aquino to replace John Sevilla who resigned as Customs Commissioner after he was reportedly pressured into appointing Malacañang endorsed officials to key positions in the BOC.

Critics of the administration said Sevilla was also instructed to raise P3-B through under-the-table transactions known in the pier lingo as “Tara,” or bribes.

In just two weeks, Lina and the BOC inflicted more damage to the administration’s image and Roxas’ chances of winning the Presidency than the well-placed black propaganda by perceived political opponents.

The Lina saga proves to be a classic example of a Wrong which turned out to be disastrously wrong.

(Photo credits: Nagaowa’s photo downloaded from her Facebook page; Lina photo downloaded from untv website)