President Duterte Says Faeldon An Honest Man, Ping Lacson Fumes
President Rodrigo
Duterte once again expressed support for resigned Customs commissioner Nicanor
Faeldon, saying that he is honest, despite fresh accusations being hurled at
him.
“I still
believe that Faeldon is honest. I have known the guy,” President Duterte told
troops in Marawi City.
The
President’s pronouncement came a day after Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson
revealed that there were rumors that the former Bureau of Customs (BOC) chief
received P100 million as a “welcome gift” from suspected smugglers.
Faeldon on
Thursday, August 24, denied Lacson’s accusations, and said instead that the
senator’s son and namesake, Panfilo Lacson Jr., was guilty of smuggling in
cement worth billions of pesos.
The Customs chief
accused Lacson’s son of smuggling after the senator, in a privilege speech,
said the former Customs chief had received P100 million as a “welcome gift”
when he became Customs commissioner.
Lacson also
claimed Faeldon and several high-ranking Customs officials received weekly
payola or “tara” from big importers for the trouble-free release of their
shipments.
Meanwhile, Senator
Richard “Dick” Gordon, chairman of the Senate Blue Ribbon committee, called on
Faeldon to submit documents to support his accusations against Lacson’s son.
Gordon also
criticized Faeldon for exposing the alleged smuggling only now, after Lacson’s
exposé before the Senate.
He added
that if Faeldon had evidence against Lacson’s son, he should have filed charges
against him.
Faeldon
said he did not immediately reveal what he knew about Lacson’s son so as not to
divert attention away from the probe into the P64 billion worth of shabu that
slipped through Customs in May.
Lacson, on
the other hand, expressed irritation at Faeldon’s suggestion that he was
somehow behind his son’s smuggling activities.
“Smuggler?
I’m absolutely sure I never called Faeldon or any Customs official to intercede
for my son in any of his transactions with Bureau of Customs,” Lacson said.
“Any
assault on my integrity irritates me, to say the least. And I won’t take it
sitting down, maybe not now, but I will definitely take action sooner or
later,” he added.
In a
privilege speech, Lacson accused Faeldon of being on the take.
He also
said Faeldon allegedly received P100-million “pasalubong” or welcome gift when
he assumed the post at the BOC.
Incoming
Customs Commissioner Isidro Lapeña, who will assume the post next week, will
carry out a major revamp at the bureau to get rid of the agency’s rotten
system, a close aide of the former Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency said
Friday.
The aide,
who asked not to be named, said a revamp is needed to revitalize the bureau and
take in new people to stop corruption.
He said the
President had ordered Lapeña to reorganize the bureau, which will affect all
personnel, down from the examiners to district collectors.
Lapeña, former
chief of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, said his mission is to rally
the 3,031 employees of the second biggest revenue earner to hit their assigned
collection target of P468 billion this year.
“Many
customs officials in juicy posts will be dislodged from their comfort zones,”
the source said.
“Many of
the personnel have been in their assignments and positions for many years and a
massive rotation would affect more than 80 percent of total personnel,” he
added.
Source: Manila Standard
President Duterte Says Faeldon An Honest Man, Ping Lacson Fumes
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August 30, 2017
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