Nicanor Faeldon
INQUIRER PHOTO / GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE
“Isa kang smuggler.” (You’re a smuggler.)
This was how resigned Customs Commissioner Nicanor Faeldon described Senator Panfilo Lacson after accusing the latter’s son of “smuggling billions-worth of cement” into the country.
“Senator Lacson this is not chismis, hindi ito kathang-isip kagaya ng paninira mo sa amin. Isa kang smuggler,” Faeldon said in a televised press conference on Thursday.
(Sen. Lacson this is not hearsay, this is not just imagination like what you have done to destroy us. You are a smuggler.)
The former Customs chief said the Bureau of Customs (BOC) has uncovered alleged billions worth of 67 shipment of “smuggled” cements belonging to a company named Bonjourno, owned reportedly by Lacson’s son, Panfilo “Pampi” Lacson Jr.
READ: Faeldon fires back, accuses Lacson son cement smuggler
“He has to explain that also. But ako 12 days pa lang ako (noon) sa opisina ko eh, I gave the senator the benefit of the doubt na matino sya at yung kanyang anak. Iniisip ko na baka hindi alam ni senator tong kalokohan ng junior nya, see?” Faeldon said.
(But for me, I’m only 12 days in office when I gave the senator the benefit of the doubt: That he and his son area clean. I was thinking that the senator may have not known the shenanigans of his junior.)
“But today, yesterday, he seems to know everything in Bureau of Customs. That’s why we can now ask him, do you know these? O ikaw pasimuno nito Senator Lacson? Anak mo to eh (Or you Senator Lacson is the perpetrator of this? This is your son.),” he added.
Faeldon also said he texted Lacson several times and said he wanted to know the truth.
“Now, Senator Lacson, I’ve texted you several times. I’m the number one person who wants the truth to come out,” he said.
Despite this, Lacson did not reply according to Faeldon.
“Ano yan gusto mo ulit tumakbo na presidente? Gusto mong magpasikat at the expense of our family? (What’s all of these, you want to run again for president? You want your name to shine at the expense of our family?)You want to destroy people like me and the names of the officers in my team? You know them, matitino sila eh (they are clean),” he added.
Faeldon pointed out that what he pitied the most are those families of his appointees at BOC whom, he said, were being “destroyed” by Lacson.
“That’s why I cried sometimes during the hearing. I pity the families of these people you are destroying. Nagtatago ka ‘dun sa immunity mo (You are hiding in the cloak of immunity). You have an ambition to become president,” he said of Lacson.
Faeldon had earlier said during the press conference that he only recommended six out of the 23 appointive positions in BOC.
“‘Yung 17 hindi ko rekomendando. Yung anim na to, kami po yong pinangalanan nya (Lacson) don (sa listahan ng tumatanggap ng ‘tara’),” said Faeldon.
(The 17 I did not recommend. The six Lacson had named in the list of receiving grease money.)
The beleaguered former Customs chief also appealed to Lacson to stop using them for the senator’s “ambitions.”
“You have proven that already, tumakbo ka nung 2004 eh (you ran in 2004). Gusto mo pa tumakbo uli (you want to run again) by destroying me, by destroying the few people I put in there to try to find out what’s happening inside the Bureau. Now you know mag kababayan. This is senator Lacson,” Faeldon said.
He added that he would bare the documents and evidence that would prove the “smuggling” of Lacson’s son.
“I’ll provide you the documents. The documents, the evidence will bare this out, patutunayan nya ito. Senator Lacson this is not chismis, hindi ito kathang-isip kagaya ng paninira mo sa amin,” Faeldon said. JPV
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