Rep. Herminio Teves (Lakas, Negros Oriental) has asked his son Finance Secretary Margarito Teves to immediately submit his resignation following the issuance of Administrative Order 156 which clipped the powers of the finance secretary to reorganize the Bureau of Customs.

Teves, a leading contender for the chairmanship of the powerful House committee on ways and means, said the President, in effect, has "insulted" his son who he said has done well in performing his duties.

"The secretary should not stay one minute more kung ili-limit din naman ang kanyang powers," he told a weekly forum in Quezon City.

AO 156, which the President signed this month, repeals AO 133 which gave the finance secretary a free hand in the reorganization of the bureau.
Rep. Teves said a group lobbied for the approval of AO 156 but did not name names.

He said he had warned Malacañang, through presidential chief of staff Michael Defensor, of the group’s lobbying.

On Tuesday, Rep. Imee Marcos (KBL, Ilocos Norte) said a group of big-time smugglers at the Customs, known as the "Magic 8," is putting up a P2 billion war chest to make sure that the new impeachment complaint against the President is dismissed at the House.

Marcos said the Magic 8 is composed of "E. Santos," "D. Tan," "B. Reyes," "T. Whausin," "Big Mama," "Jovy K," "M. Santos," and "J. King".

She said that because of the "Magic 8," the government is losing as much as P3 billion monthly, out of mis-declared duties and tariffs on imported goods.