Lim fires own man for bribe take

Lim fires own man for bribe take

Gives his cellphone numbers, email address for people to ‘text’ or email him

By BERTENI “TOTO” CATALUÑA CAUSING

Gen. Danny Lim

Dyaryo Magdalo obtained an “unspoken of” news that Customs Deputy Commissioner for Intelligence Danilo D. Lim has fired a man he brought with him to supposedly execute the trust of the people in him through the mandate of President Benigno Simeon Aquino III.

 It was not immediately known who this person was except for a piece of information that said that the man fired by Lim was a military officer close to him.

highly-placed sources told Dyaryo Magdalo that Lim somehow sacrificed an enduring friendship when he decided to give this person a walking order after confirming from his own sources that this officer he trusted then so much strayed away from the public trust by receiving a bribe.

This somehow reconfirmed the reputation of the man who once was said to have refused millions of pesos and freedom from prison offered him in exchange for a cooperation with the administration of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

To avoid shaming his man, Lim did the dismissal by just telling the person to walk away without any more discussion.

The former chief of the Army’s Scout Rangers once led a band of rebel soldiers in the 1989 coup d’etat against then President Corazon Aquino, mother of the man who appointed him to the Customs’ No. 2 position.

Lim was detained by the Arroyo administration after having been accused of trying to lead his full-battle-geared men in a march against her when the controversial Hello Garci tape scandal went at its highest.

After attending a trial of the rebellion charges along with Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, Lim marched with Magdalo soldiers and renegades to seize Manila Peninsula Hotel, that almost duplicated the seize of the same group of Oakwood Hotel also in Makati City.

He ran for senator under the banner of Liberal Party but he landed beyond the top 12 but within the top 20.

After the one-year ban for appointment to election losers, P-Noy named him to the No. 2 post with fellow defeated senatorial candidate Ruffy Biazon getting the top post as Customs Commissioner, replacing the controversial Angelito Alvarez fired after failing to account for the 2,000 missing container vans.

Having learned from the behavior of his man, other sources of Dyaryo Magdalo said that Lim expressed doubts on his other men he named to surround him and to take care of the trust reposed in him.

As one of his counter-measures to ensure his own men never talk with strange characters, Lim issued a public order after having been informed by some members of the media that “importers are confronted with difficulties in processing their respective shipments reportedly due to strict rules currently implemented in the Bureau of Customs (BOC).”

To ensure that anybody, especially the complaining importers, talk to him in confidence, Lim announced his cellular phone numbers 09152312637 and 09279496623 and email address boc@gendannylm.org and they can call or text him.

The memorandum Lim issued after firing his own man

He further said in this order dated October 21, 2011:

“I wish to inform all duly-accredited importers that this office performs an above-board implementation of Customs Laws and Regulations.  This office will neither abuse its authority nor circumvent rules in the exercise of its duty.

“I personally guarantee that the office will not cause disruption of the normal trade facilitations, unless supported by valid reasons as provided by the TCCP.  This office will faithfully exercise its mandate in the highest standards of public duty in order to protect the interest of our State and its people.

“We shall remain steadfast in our war against corruption and smuggling at the BOC, a task that is sought by President Benigno S. Aquino III and the Filipino people.  I am requesting the support of all importers in this fight by way of providing information directly to me.”

Recently, Lim issued a memorandum calling on licensed customs brokers transacting in the BOC to stop bribing anyone using his name as he has neither authorized anyone to solicit “tara” nor will accept bribes.

“Let it be a public knowledge that: I neither asked for ‘Tara’ nor appointed anyone to solicit either for myself or for my office,” Lim declared.

Lim has committed to snuff at birth all attempts to undermine or sabotage his missions and mandate by unscrupulous men in the BOC or by anyone closely associated to him.

“I am at a firm belief that a tight moral rectitude deserves highest respect from all -- that no one: even a friend, an ally, and a family member, has a birthright to desecrate what it represents and stands for. I live with this conviction,” Lim said.

So far, the BOC Intel chief is highly revered today as the face of integrity and gallantry expected of a public official and as a former Filipino soldier.