Faeldon ‘can’t do his duties from jail,’ says Defense chief

Nicanor Faeldon, former Bureau of Customs (BOC) commissioner argues with Sen. Richard Gordon at the continuation of the Senate hearing on the 6.4 Billion worth of shabu shipment from China on Monday, January 29, 2018. INQUIRER PHOTO / GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE

Detained former Customs Commissioner Nicanor Faeldon could not perform his duties as an Office of Civil Defense (OCD) official from jail, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said on Wednesday, contrary to the claim of presidential spokesperson Harry Roque.

“His incarceration at Pasay (City) Jail is totally unexpected. I was hoping he would be set free sooner so he can start performing his job. Since he is in detention… obviously he can not perform his job,” Lorenzana said in a text message to reporters.

Roque had said that Faeldon could still do his work as an OCD deputy administrator from jail since the task involved policymaking.

Faeldon was ordered detained in Pasay by the Senate blue ribbon committee after he traded barbs with Sen. Richard Gordon, chair of the panel that investigated the P6.4 billion “shabu” (crystal meth) shipment that slipped through the Bureau of Customs in September.

President Rodrigo Duterte appointed Faeldon to the OCD despite being investigated and held in contempt by the Senate for refusing to attend the hearings.

The OCD is an agency under the Department of National Defense. —Nikko Dizon