OUTGOING CUSTOMS Commissioner Nicanor E. Faeldon hit back at Senator Panfilo M. Lacson on Thursday, Aug. 24, alleging smuggling activities by the senator’s son and namesake, after Mr. Lacson on Wednesday delivered a privileged speech linking Mr. Faeldon to the network of corruption in the Bureau of Customs (BoC).

Faeldon to adversaries: Don’t act like you own BoC
File photo of outgoing Customs Commissioner Nicanor E. Faeldon gesturing during a press conference at his office in Manila. — PHILIPPINE STAR/EDD GUMBAN

At a televised press conference in his home in Taytay, Rizal, Mr. Faeldon also insinuated that Panfilo Lacson, Jr. and his firm Bonjourno could be “fronting” for his father.

In a privileged speech on Wednesday, Mr. Lacson accused Mr. Faeldon and several subordinates at the BoC of raking in bribes, among these a P100-million “welcome gift” the commissioner allegedly received upon assuming office.

Both Messrs. Lacson and Faeldon are graduates of the Philippine Military Academy and former servicemen. So are six Customs officials Mr. Faeldon brought into the agency, all of whom Mr. Lacson named, among several others.

“We will bring you to justice that’s why you want us out,” Mr. Faeldon said, addressing the senator.

‘ARE YOU A PLAYER?’
Mr. Faeldon said Mr. Lacson, Jr.’s firm was among the 600 importers he suspended and that he personally knew of four shiploads of cement last year — three in July, within his “first 12 days in office,” worth more than P100 million, and one in October — whose freight cost the senator’s son allegedly undervalued by at least 50%, declaring $8 a metric ton when the prevailing cost was between $16-$20.

But very recently, he said he had records checked and learned that Mr. Lacson Jr. had imported a total of 67 shiploads of cement “since I assumed office.”

He added that the Cement Manufacturers’ Association of the Philippines had written him on the “notorious” smugglers of the commodity and that Bonjourno was “number one.”

“Senator Lacson, are you a player?” Mr. Faeldon asked, then added: “This is what you fear. We are getting close to exposing you.”

“All you have to do, Senator Lacson, is disown this. Is your son fronting for you? Is this your dummy company?” Mr. Faeldon said as he urged the Senate blue-ribbon committee to investigate his allegations.

The committee, chaired by Senator Richard J. Gordon, is investigating how P6.4 billion in crystal meth or “shabu” from China was sneaked into the country, apparently under the BoC’s nose.

Mr. Faeldon added that, if Mr. Lacson denied knowing about his son’s alleged smuggling activities, that would only prove that the senator knows “nothing about Customs” and was, therefore, “lying” about the claims he made against the resigned Customs chief and other Customs officers.

‘BE ON THE LEVEL’
Mr. Lacson also on Thursday responded point by point to Mr. Faeldon’s allegations in his news conference.

“First I have nothing to do with my son’s business activities; second, there is no smuggling of cement as it is not subject to Customs tariff and duties but only subject to VAT, which my son said when I checked with him just now, they always pay,” Mr. Lacson said.

“(T)hird, he should have filed charges against my son if he now says, he’s into smuggling; fourth, it doesn’t make sense that I will expose the shenanigans in the BoC, if my son is cheating on taxes as Faeldon is now accusing him of,” the senator added.

“The logical thing for me to do is not to make the expose’ and just keep quiet. For the record, I have always reminded my son to be on the level in whatever business dealings he would have because if not, I’ll be the first one to castigate him and even initiate filing of charges against him,” Mr. Lacson also said.

Mr. Lacson also disputed Mr. Faeldon’s claim that Bonjourno Trading undervalued its shipments.

“’Yung sinabi ni Faeldon na $16 per ton, that’s too high,” he said. “Mali ‘yung datos niya… Walang undervalue.” (What Faeldon is saying, the $16 per ton, that’s too high. His data is wrong. There is no undervalu[ing].)

In a subsequent text message to the media after the press conference, Mr. Lacson clarified that he had asked his son regarding Mr. Faeldon’s claim that he delivered money to the Commissioner’s office.

“He said he has not done so at any time. He has not met Faeldon. He has absolutely no reason to bribe Faeldon or the Customs Bureau. That’s a big lie,” the senator said.

As for Bonjourno’s P20,000 capital, Mr. Lacson said he has yet to confirm it as he doesn’t know anything about his son’s business. He added that his only involvement in his son’s company was when he helped him photocopy his documents when the company was just starting out.

Mr. Lacson also said he received two text messages from Mr. Faeldon, one after his privilege speech on Wednesday, and another on Thursday morning. He said that in the first message, Mr. Faeldon said he had the highest respect for the senator and that he hopes there will be a competent body that will investigate the case. In the other message, Mr. Lacson said Mr. Faeldon asked: “Bakit ko raw sinira ‘yung mga hindi corrupt?” (Why did I destroy those who are not corrupt?)

“I don’t know what he means by that,” Mr. Lacson said.

‘RETURN FIRE’
Senate President Aquilino Martin L. Pimentel III when sought for comment said: “Bakit hindi nila kinilusan agad? Bakit ngayon lang bibira pagtapos siyang birain ni Sen. Lacson?” (Why did they not act on [the corruption at BoC]? Why only now the allegations against Senator Lacson, after he accused [Mr. Faeldon in his privileged speech]?)

“Faeldon should state everything he knows about everyone involved in suspicious activities in Customs and not only concentrate his return fire on the person who exposed the tara system in BoC,” Mr. Pimentel also said.

Senate Minority Leader Franklin M. Drilon for his part said: “Bakit ngayon lang? (Why only now?) Twenty-four hours after Sen. Lacson’s expose? An act of desperation on the part of Faeldon. I have full faith in the uprightness of Senator Lacson and his family. Without any evidence other than Faeldon’s allegation, I will oppose any investigation. It will be a waste of time and will simply be used as a venue for character assassination.”

For his part, Federation of Philippine Industries (FPI) President Jesus L. Arranza said both parties should file criminal cases against each other.

“Kung meron silang proof, filean na nila ng kaso (If they have proof, they should file a case). Why go through the public? You are trying them for publicity,” he said.

“They will both have (their) chance to defend themselves,” Mr. Arranza added. — reports by interaksyon.com and Mario M. Banzon, with Elijah Joseph C. Tubayan

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