Senate warns Nicanor Faeldon: Don’t skip probe

MANILA, Philippines — Senators have warned Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) Director Nicanor Faeldon against skipping the Senate probe today into the reported abuse and corruption surrounding the release of nearly 2,000 convicts under the retroactive application of a law allowing the reduction of prisoner sentences for good behavior.

The Senate Blue Ribbon committee, chaired by Sen. Richard Gordon, issued a subpoena to Faeldon yesterday for him to testify on allegations that money changed hands in the aborted release of former Calauan, Laguna mayor Antonio Sanchez – a murder and rape convict – and the discharge of five Chinese nationals convicted of drug trafficking.

BuCor officials earlier invoked Republic Act 10592 or the Good Conduct Time Allowance (GCTA) Law as the basis for the release of some 1,914 inmates convicted of heinous crimes from the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City.

Sen. Panfilo Lacson said the committee “will not stop its inquiry until no stone is left unturned in establishing the culpability of Faeldon and other officials of BuCor, on the accountability side, not to mention exhaustively discuss improvements of RA 10592 on the legislation aspect of the issue at hand.”

The panel had inquired with Faeldon whether or not he will attend the hearing after sending an invitation but he had sent word that he already has a prior engagement, reportedly a seminar organized by the Canadian embassy.

The prospect of Faeldon not appearing prompted Gordon to issue the subpoena, which if ignored, could mean the committee could cite the controversial BuCor chief in contempt, and have him detained—for the second time—in the Senate.

Faeldon was detained at the Senate from September 2017 to March 2018 when he was Customs chief, after being cited in contempt for refusing to cooperate in the inquiry into the P6.4-billion worth of drugs smuggled from China.

A report from CNN Philippines quoting Faeldon’s wife, Jelina, said the BuCor chief will face the hearing today. Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra, Faeldon’s immediate boss, sent word that he will appear at the inquiry.

Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon and Sen. Risa Hontiveros in separate statements called for the removal of Faeldon, saying he no longer has the trust of the people.

“Faeldon looked at the Filipino people square in the face, and lied. That alone is reprehensible enough. But the fact that he effectively coddled an unrepentant convicted rapist and murderer, turned a blind eye to Sanchez’s crimes while he is in prison and lied to the public, is a gross violation of the oath of office that all civil servants take,” she said.

Hontiveros also cited allegations that Faeldon’s office allegedly released a number of Chinese drug traffickers despite the opposition of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, which had described the decision as “not conforming to the process.”

She said RA 10592 is a good law but Faeldon apparently implemented it the wrong way.

Drilon said the release of the 1,914 prisoners serving life sentence, including convicts in the rape-slay of the Chiong sisters, requires prior approval by the secretary of justice in accordance with the Department of Justice’s order issued by then acting secretary and now Supreme Court Associate Justice Benjamin Caguioa. – With Alexis Romero, Delon Porcalla, Romina Cabrera, Jess Diaz, Emmanuel Tupas