CONTROVERSIAL former customs chief Nicanor E. Faeldon has been appointed by President Rodrigo R. Duterte as deputy administrator III of the Office of Civil Defense (OCD), as shown by his appointment letter dated Dec. 22.
Mr. Faeldon has been accused, particularly by Senator Panfilo M. Lacson, of raking in bribes, among these a P100-million “welcome gift” the commissioner allegedly received upon assuming office at the Bureau of Customs in 2016.
Mr. Lacson when sought for comment said in a text message to the Senate media: “It…says a lot about a person’s judgment of character and the character of the person giving his full trust on another.”
He added: “To say that Faeldon has the goods on the President or any of his relatives in regard to the payola system involving the Davao group may be speculative at this point.”
Mr. Lacson also said: “However, rightly or wrongly, one cannot help but think that the President’s open display of his unequivocal support and trust on Faeldon has something to do with that ugly issue.”
“The Senate cannot dictate on the President who to appoint or not. Faeldon has not been convicted of any crime yet and certainly he is not barred from assuming an appointive or even an elective position. Certainly, the President has the authority to exercise his prerogative to appoint him. However, the Senate cannot also be dictated upon to release Faeldon from custody. So, while he can assume his new post at the OCD, he may have to function from the Senate detention facility via remote control, unless his contempt citation is lifted by the Senate acting as a collegial body.”
For his part, opposition Senator Antonio F. Trillanes IV said “(Mr.) Faeldon knows the dark secrets of the Duterte family, that’s why, even if he is grossly incompetent, he remains a sacred cow.”
Senator Sherwin T. Gatchalian when sought for comment said Mr. Faeldon’s appointment is Mr. Duterte’s “prerogative. However, the President should understand that this person is absolutely ineffective in the Bureau of Customs and was primarily responsible for the lack of systems in deterring illegal drugs from coming through the ports of our own customs.” — Arjay L. Balinbin
