“Customs Official Flunks Lifestyle Check”

A senior official in the Port of Cebu is facing charges of Serious Dishonesty and Failure to File SALN relative to her acquisition of several properties and bank cash deposits.

Subport of Dumaguete Acting Collector Fe Lluelyn Ganir-Toring denied the charges in her submitted counter affidavits, however, the Civil Service Commission (CSC) sustained the complaints which were earlier filed by Graft Prevention and Control Officers Jesse Lara and Fermin Aguaviva, Jr. of the Department of Finance Revenue Integrity and Protection Service (DOF-RIPS).

“I am not a perfect person, but I will categorically deny that the money used in buying those properties listed in my SALN came from illegal source,” Toring said in part on her counter affidavit, with the assistance of her counsel Atty. Richard Bauzon.

CSC Chairman Francisco Duque III, signed Resolution no. 1401284 which stipulated the formal charges, along with CSC Commissioners Robert Martinez and Nieves Osorio, a copy of which was received by BoC Commissioner John P. Sevilla who in turn transmitted the same to Poc Dist. Coll. General (ret.) Roberto Almadin.

“WHEREFORE, Fe Lluelyn Ganir-Toring is hereby FORMALLY CHARGED with Serious Dishonesty under Section 3 (e) and (f) of CSC Resolution No. 060538 (Rules on the Administrative Offense of Dishonesty) Failure to File Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Networth (SALN)” a part of the dispositive portion of the charge reads, a copy of which was obtained by MetroCebu News.

Among the properties in question were the acquisition of a a second-hand Mitsubishi Adventure in 1998, a Kia Picanto in 2009, a house and lot in Nivel Hills, Cebu City and several other properties in Tagum City and Samal Island in Mindanao and her alleged sudden increase in cash deposit in a bank, which the RIPS investigator alleged could not be reconciled with the actual salary of Toring, who was assigned then as COO-V of the Subport of Mactan in Lapu-Lapu City.

Toring in her defense claimed, the complainant RIPS, did not consider her other legitimate income, including her overtime pays with the airlines at the Mactan-Cebu International Airport where customs employees have been paid for service which they have rendered.

“Also the money I used in buying those properties came not only from my salaries but also from my other legitimate income. I am referring to overtime pays,” Toring claimed.

As to allegation that she failed to file her SALN in 2004, Toring countered that the certification from the Bureau of Customs that it did not have such in their file do not constitute to not actually filing, “it could be possible that the Bureau of Customs lost my 2004 SALN or it could be they intentionally lost my 2004 SALN,” she reasoned.

She further said that she started with the BoC in 1974, without any politician backing her.

“I started working in the Bureau of Customs since 1974. I worked hard before I reached the position I am holding right now without any backing from any politician.”

RIPS produced some Deeds Of Sales on the properties, her annual gross salaries as reflected in her service records, all of which they averred would not justify on how Toring would acquire the properties, including even the claim of Toring that she got loans from GSIS and Pag-Ibig, in the case of buying the Mitsubishi Adventure and the owning of the house and lot in Cebu City, respectively.

The house and lot Toring added is owned by her parents and it was just transferred in her name to fast track a loan from Pag-ibig since at that time then the house needed renovation after a typhoon, which her sibling allegedly agreed, stressing further, there was no actual money that was paid in her acquisition of the property since her parents are its actual owners.

RIPS also based their investigations on the SALN of Toring from 2003-2012, excluding 2004, which the BoC HRMD has certified as not found in their file.

Among those that were provided copies of the formal charges are BoC Resident Ombudsman Atty. Paterno Alarcon, Jr., BoC Legal Service OIC-Director Atty. Alexis Medina, and Undersecretary Carlos Carag of the DoF, among others.