Not so fast, Faeldon’s would-be captor told

Faeldon: I will gladly stay in jail. —NIÑO JESUS ORBETA

Senate Sergeant at Arms Jose Balajadia Jr. was more than ready to do his job—arrest resigned Customs Commissioner Nicanor Faeldon—but was confused about when to pounce on the ex-Marine captain.

He said that in his eagerness, he sent a team from his office early on Friday to implement an order by the Senate blue ribbon committee to arrest Faeldon, who was waiting for them in his house in Taytay, Rizal province.

 ‘A little overeager’

Before Balajadia’s officers could leave with Faeldon they were told to stand down and withdraw by committee chair Sen. Richard Gordon, who reminded them that the arrest order should be carried out only if the former Customs chief failed to attend a hearing scheduled for Monday.

“The arrest order was just issued ahead in anticipation of what will happen on Monday,” Balajadia told the Inquirer. “I was a little overeager to implement the arrest order.”

Cited for contempt

Faeldon did not attend the seventh hearing on Thursday of Gordon’s committee, which is looking into a 605-kilogram shipment of “shabu” (crystal meth) from China worth P6.4 billion that slipped through the Bureau of Customs in May.

The committee on Thursday cited Faeldon for contempt after his third absence from  the Senate inquiry since his last appearance on Aug. 15. Gordon said he would be arrested if he failed to appear at the next hearing on Monday.

Balajadia said his team began searching for Faeldon on Thursday night after receiving the Senate committee’s order but did not pursue him anymore after they were informed he would give himself up on Friday.