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