Sen. Richard Gordon
INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE
The Senate blue ribbon committee is set to decide on Monday the fate of former Customs Chief Nicanor Faeldon who has repeatedly refused to appear before the panel’s investigation into the smuggling of the P6.4 billion worth of shabu in May.
Senator Richard Gordon, who chairs the powerful committee, said that if Faeldon maintains his defiance, the Senate could decide to order his detention at the Pasay City jail.
“Hindi malayo ‘yan dahil di ko naman gusto ‘yun. Sa akin, humarap lang siya at magsalita, papalabasin ko siya,” Gordon said in an interview over radio dzBB, Sunday.
(It could happen even though I don’t want it. For me, if he faces us and tells what he knows, I would let him go.)
“‘Yan ang pinag-usapan namin, we have to protect the Senate. Can you imagine, ‘pag tinawag ko, hindi pupunta, ayaw — e di wala na tayo malalaman sa shabu. Ayaw nila humarap kasi natatakot sila,” he added.
(That’s what we talked about, we have to protect the Senate. Can you image if I summoned someone and he doesn’t want to attend, then we won’t find out anything about the drugs. They don’t want to face us because they’re scared.)
When asked if this is the committee’s ultimatum to Faeldon, Gordon said: “I don’t threaten, I just do it.”
“’Pag ginawa niya at wala sa lugar — sorry ha — ayaw mong sumunod, wala ka sa lugar; sorry I need to do something. Nahihirapan nga kami gumagastos ang Senado sa kanya. Air-conditioned ang kulungan niya. Walang baras, centralized air-con ang buong garahe at may ambulansya, may pagka-spoiled ang mamayang ito,” he said.
(If he does it and it’s out of place, I’m sorry – if you don’t follow and you’re out of place, I’m sorry but I need to do something. We’re having a difficult time spending in the Senate for him. His cell is air-conditioned. There are no bars, the garage has centralized air-con and there’s an ambulance; this person is spoiled.)
Last Friday, the committee issued another subpoena against Faeldon, but his lawyer Jose Diño said he might maintain his “right to his personal dignity, specifically his right not to be browbeaten (again) with hopelessly un-provable and garbage allegations.”
READ: Senate subpoenas Faeldon anew to attend BOC ‘tara system’ inquiry
Faeldon is still detained at the Senate facility after he was cited in contempt for refusing to attend the Senate hearings.
But President Rodrigo Duterte had recently appointed him as deputy administrator of the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) under the Department of National Defense (DND).
The said Senate committee inquiry is also investigating the systemic corruption and “tara system” inside the Bureau of Customs (BOC). /je