Senators scrap Faeldon’s ethics case vs Lacson, Trillanes

The Senate committee on ethics unanimously junked on Tuesday the cases filed by former Customs chief Nicanor Faeldon against two senators.

It was Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon who moved to dismiss the ethics cases filed against Senators Panfilo Lacson and Antonio Trillanes IV in connection with corruption allegations at the Bureau of Customs allegedly involving Faeldon.

In the case of Lacson, Drilon believes that it was a “clear forum shopping” since Lacson’s allegation against Faeldon was already the subject of an investigation by the Senate blue ribbon committee.

Lacson, in a privilege speech in August 2017, accused Faeldon of allegedly receiving P100 million as “welcome gift” when he assumed the BoC post. This allegation was the subject of Faeldon’s complaint against Lacson.

READ: Holy mackerel! Lacson bares Faeldon got P100-M ‘pasalubong’

“It’s clearly a forum shopping,” Drilon said. “The privilege speech is a subject of an investigation by the blue ribbon and therefore whether or not the allegations are true remains to be tackled in the committee report of the blue ribbon committee.”

“So in this instance, I’m expressing an opinion, this appears to be a forum shopping because the matter should be first discussed and tackled in the blue ribbon…” Drilon added.

As to the complaint filed against Trillanes for “malicious” accusations hurled at Faeldon, Drilon said the former Customs boss had also made “very malicious” statements against some senators.

“You know, Mr. Faeldon does not exactly come to the committee with clean hands because…We have this doctrine in law, he who comes to court must come in clean hands,” Drilon said.

“If anyone has abused his right to criticize public officials, Faeldon is as guilty as anybody…” he also said.

Drilon’s motion was immediately seconded by other committee members present during the hearing.

Lacson, a committee member, was also present in the hearing but he had inhibited from participating in the proceeding on the complaint lodged against him.              /kga