Walang pressure kay Sevilla — Palasyo (Para iabsuwelto sina Ochoa at Purisima)

HINDI kinausap ni Pangulong Benigno Aquino III o sino mang opisyal ng Palasyo, si resigned Customs Commissioner John “Sunny” Sevilla para kumambiyo sa naunang pagsiwalat niya na kaya nagbitiw ay bunsod nang pakikialam nang malalapit na tauhan ng Punong Ehekutibo sa pamamahala sa Bureau of Customs (BOC).

Ito ang tugon ni Presidential Spokesman Edwin Lacierda nang tanungin ng media kahapon kung may nag-pressure o kumausap kay Sevilla para iabsuwelto sina Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa at Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima sa mga taong nagpupumilit na maitalaga bilang hepe ng Enforcement and Security Service ang hindi kuwalipikadong si Atty. Teddy Taval.

Giit ni Lacierda, matalino at matapat na tao si Sevilla kaya’t kung ano man ang naging pahayag nito sa media kahapon ay tanggapin na lang at wala na siyang maibibigay pang dagdag na komento.

“Si Sunny Sevilla is a very brilliant guy and a very honest guy. If this is a statement that he came up with, he stated his position already. May I just ask the media to take his statement as it is. I cannot add any […] or any…I cannot add to any iota of comment to the statement he has already made. I think if there be any questions, I suppose you should interpose the questions to Sunny Sevilla himself not to me,” ani Lacierda.

Makalipas ang apat na araw nang ihayag ang kanyang pagbibitiw bilang Customs commissioner bunsod aniya na hindi niya kursunada na italaga si Raval bilang ESS chief na inieendoso ng Iglesia ni Cristo at nina Ochoa at Purisima , biglang nag-iba ng tono si Sevilla at itinanggi ang naturang pahayag.

“No one from the Iglesia ni Cristo ever contacted me directly; as such, I have no direct confirmation that the Iglesia ni Cristo was truly pushing Atty. Raval’s reassignment or appointment. No one, at any point, lobbied me to appoint Atty. Teddy Raval as Director of the Enforcement and Security Service. No one- not Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa, not Secretary Purisima, nor anyone else pressured me at any point to resign from the Bureau of Customs. On the contrary, Executive Secretary Ochoa and Secretary Purisima urged me to remain at the Bureau,” pahayag kahapon ni SEvilla.

Rose Novenario