Senate issues arrest order vs Faeldon

Nicanor Faeldon INQUIRER.net File Photo

The Senate has issued an arrest order against former Bureau of Customs (BOC) chief Nicanor Faeldon for his repeated failure to attend the chamber’s investigation into the P6.4 billion worth of smuggled drugs from China.

Senate Sergeant-At-Arms Jose V. Balajadia Jr. said the arrest order against Faeldon was issued at 6: 30 p.m. Thursday.

Balajadia said his office had already sent a team to serve the arrest order in various addresses of the former Customs official, including his residence in Taytay.

“Once we serve the arrest order, we will place him under the custody of the Sergeant -At-Arms,” Balajadia said in a phone interview on Friday.

Faeldon was cited for contempt by the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee after he snubbed for the third time on Thursday its probe on the drug shipment.

“I continue to have the highest respect for the Senate as an institution but I no longer have faith in the impartiality in some of its members who have lied to malign me and other innocent resource persons,” Faeldon said in letter he sent to the committee.

“This is not to defy as an institution. This is a way of protesting. I want my team and I to be last victims of baseless accusations, persecution, and condemnation,” he added.

This prompted the committee, chaired by Senator Richard Gordon, to cite Faeldon for contempt and threatened him with arrest should he fail again to appear in the next hearing set on Monday.

READ: Senate body cites Faeldon for contempt

Asked   why Faeldon had been ordered arrested even before the Monday’s hearing,  Balajadia said: “Sumusunod lang ako sa order.” KGA