BuCor chief Faeldon must be fired, charged – Hontiveros

MANILA, Philippines – Opposition Senator Risa Hontiveros urged  President  Rodrigo Duterte on Monday to fire beleaguered Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) chief Nicanor  Faeldon.

Faeldon is again at the center of controversy, this time, over the reported release of convicted high profile inmates due to good behavior.

Among those allegedly issued a release order was former Calauan, Laguna Mayor Antonio Sanchez,  who was convicted for the brutal killings of two University of the Philippines – Los Banos students in the 1990s.

“I call on President Rodrigo Duterte to respond decisively to this travesty of justice and immediately fire Faeldon,” Hontiveros said in a statement.

“Section 6 of RA 10592 penalizes officials who violate the law with perpetual disqualification from holding public office and imprisonment. Faeldon should be removed from public office and charged with the appropriate administrative and criminal cases,” she added.

It was also based on the same law, Republic Act 10592, where nearly 2,000   prisoners convicted of heinous crimes have been released since its enactment in 2013.

The said law increases the good conduct time allowance (GCTA) that can be deducted from an inmate’s total jail term.

“President Duterte should stop his practice of recycling questionable appointees from one department to another. The courtroom, where he should stand accused of obstructing justice and betraying the public interest, should be the last stop for the overly recycled and department-hopping Faeldon,”  Hontiveros said.

She said this was not the first time that “Faeldon has failed in handling critical positions.”

“When he was head of the Bureau of Customs (BOC), P 6.4 billion worth of shabu from China slipped through our ports and the “tara system” worsened. The Ombudsman itself recommended the filing of both administrative and criminal charges. It seems that everywhere Faeldon goes, corruption and abuse of power follow,” said the senator.

After he was dragged into the shabu smuggling controversy,  Faeldon vacated his post at the BoC but he was later appointed deputy administrator III at the Office of Civil Defense (OCD).

In October 2018,  he was appointed as head of the BuCor.

Aside from the dismissal of Faeldon, Hontiveros also joined the call to reshuffle BuCor personnel and revamp internal procedures.

“It’s time to clean house. Our already struggling justice system cannot afford further damage. Justice cannot be served by people who are only too willing to bend it,” she said.

During the weekend, Senate President Vicente Sotto III urged the President to “revamp the entire officialdom of the BuCor.”

“This travesty of Justice is condemnable,”  Sotto said. /gsg

READ: Sotto: Duterte must revamp BuCor