House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News

MANILA- House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez confirmed Friday that he endorsed a Bureau of Customs (BoC) employee for promotion but maintained that there was no lobbying.

The admission came after the BoC official, who had apparently set aside the House leader's recommendation, received a dressing down at a House committee hearing on Wednesday.

Alvarez, in a text message, said he did sign a letter endorsing a certain Sandy Sacluti to be promoted within the BoC.

"Yes I did. I sign so many recommendations each day sa dami ng nagpapatulong but until there lang. Wala pong lobbying. They are trying to divert the real issue on illegal drug smuggling. Malalim 'yan. 'Yan ang tutokan n[i]yong mabuti," Alvarez said.

Earlier this week, Mandy Anderson, head executive assistant (HEA) of BoC Commissioner Nicanor Faeldon, revealed that she received Alvarez's request and reviewed Sacluti's qualifications but found that she is not qualified.

Anderson was scolded during Wednesday's congressional hearing for calling Alvarez an "imbecile" in a Facebook post. She believes she was reprimanded because she declined the Speaker's promotion request.

Anderson added that Alvarez even called Faeldon and asked him about the employee's promotion, but that the latter also refused based on the employee's lack of qualification.

In a statement Thursday, Faeldon said he stands by Anderson, noting that his aide is entitled to her own opinion.

"I acknowledge that Facebook is a social media platform readily accessible to the public. I am not condoning the action of my Chief of Staff but Atty. Mandy Anderson is entitled to her own opinion,” Faeldon said.

Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, who chairs the House Committee on Dangerous Drugs, meanwhile said news reports and the social media buzz on the recent hearing of the House Committee on Ways in Means indicate a deliberate effort to distract public attention away from the real and pressing issues surrounding the BOC.

"The House hearing was meant to find out the answer to the troubling question: How can billions of pesos worth of illegal drugs breeze through undetected in the express lane of the BOC?" he said.

"Anything else is irrelevant and a vain attempt to muddle the issue about the massive smuggling happening at the very noses of the Customs officials," he added.

