Faeldon to be transferred from Senate to Pasay City Jail
Published: 5:39 p.m., Jan. 29, 2018 | Updated: 6:18 p.m., Jan. 29, 2018
Senators unanimously agreed in a caucus on Monday to transfer former Customs Commissioner Nicanor Faeldon from his detention at the Senate building to the Pasay City Jail.
Sen. Richard Gordon, chairman of the Senate blue ribbon committee, announced the decision in a brief manifestation on the Senate floor.
“I just wanted to make it formal that the Senate unanimously declared that Mr. Faeldon will remain charged with contempt and he will now be remanded to the custody of the Pasay City Jail upon order of commitment by the Senate President. And it was agreed upon unanimously, Mr. President,” Gordon said.
“We will work on the decision that was reached earlier,” said Senate President Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, who was presiding over the session.
In an interview with reporters later, Gordon said Pimentel would have to sign the commitment order before the Senate can turn over custody of Faeldon to the Pasay City Jail. He said he was expecting the order to be signed within the day.
Asked what prompted them to order Faeldon’s transfer, Gordon pointed to the former Customs chief’s “behavior” during the hearing of the committee earlier in the day.
“It’s the behavior. It’s his defiance na ayaw niyang humarap,” the senator said of Faeldon, who has been detained at the Senate since September last year for repeatedly refusing to participate in the probe.
“Yung behavior niya kanina, okay na sana eh. Ako mismo eh biglang nagtararang na naman,” Gordon said.
Faeldon and Gordon engaged in a verbal tussle during the hearing, with the former Customs chief accusing the senator of “monologuing” during the proceedings.
Faeldon also accused Minority Leader Franklin Drilon and Majority Leader Vicente “Tito” Sotto III of making “illegal” requests when he was still the Bureau of Customs’ chief.
Gordon said about 20 senators were present in the caucus and all agreed to transfer Faeldon to the Pasay City Jail. /atm
