Allow me to express my appreciation of Conrad Banal?s Sept. 2 column titled, ?Sewer RATS.? To say the least, the column expressed what we felt following our sad, if not tragic, experience in the hands of the Bureau of Customs? ?RATS? (Run After The Smugglers) pack.

After seizing the 7107 Islands Cruise Ship, the Philippines? first-ever cruise ship, the customs bureau has done every trick in the book to make our cruise project difficult and our life miserable. We therefore agree with Banal that while the Department of Tourism is doing its best to promote tourism in the Philippines, the Bureau of Customs (BoC) seems determined to sabotage it. Banal gave the reasons why and how he came to this conclusion.

However, even as we thank Banal for taking up the cudgels for us, we want to make it clear the he was partly wrong in saying ?neither the BoC commissioner nor finance secretary lifted a finger to help [us cope with] our predicament.?

As far as the Customs commissioner is concerned, there is nothing we can say to belie that statement. In a general sense, the Customs commissioner can be faulted for abetting the incompetent performance and corrupt practices of his people in the bureau. But in the case of Finance Secretary Margarito Teves, we at 7107 Island Cruise Group can?t thank him enough for the support he has extended to us for our project. Secretary Teves has made us feel that we deserve recognition from the government and that the government cares.

Secretary Teves, therefore, wasn?t guilty of not ?lifting a finger? to correct the wrong done to us. He did his best to help us. But the BoC RATS made sure to effectively sabotage the secretary?s position on the project.

ESTEBAN C. TAJANLANGIT JR., chairman and CEO, 7107 Islands Cruise, Palawan Center, Makati City