DEPARTMENT of Finance (DOF) Secretary Frederick Go has approved the removal of Port of Subic District Collector Noel Estanislao who has been put on floating status at the office of the Bureau of Customs Commissioner Ariel F. Nepomuceno.
In an unnumbered Customs Personnel Order (CPO) approved by the Finance Secretary last March 19, Director Arnaldo M. Saulong of the Trade and Information Risk Analysis Office, Post Clearance Audit Group (PCAG), has been named as the new Port of Subic District Collector.
The relief of Estanislao appeared inevitable (and confirmed to Pinoy Exposé by Commissioner Nepomuceno) after the Port of Subic was identified as being used by agricultural goods smugglers for their illegal activities.
The rampant smuggling at the Port resulted to a Senate investigation last year where some of Estanislao’s subordinates were detained for being untruthful in answering questions from lawmakers.
At the start of the Marcos administration, Estanislao, a former officer of the defunct Philippine Constabulary (PC), was immediately rumored to be the “next” customs commissioner mainly thru his personal closeness to the Marcos family.
Estanislao also previously served as commander of ‘Task Force Jericho’ the failed special anti-gambling strike force of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) under the Macapagal-Arroyo administration.
Although this did not materialize, Estanislao was subsequently appointed by President Marcos Jr., as Port of Subic District Collector last March 11, 2025. He formally replaced District Collector Atty. Marlon Fritz Broto during a simple turnover ceremony on April 28 (Pinoy Exposé, May 6, 2025).
Incidentally, Broto would also be forced to tender his irrevocable resignation and leave Customs in September, just some five months later, after being embroiled in a controversy of his own making (Pinoy Exposé, September 14, 2025).
Estanislao’s appointment stated that his tenure is “co-terminus” with President Marcos but there is no information yet on his next posting.