Hontiveros to Duterte: Get a dictionary and look up what ‘upright’ means

MANILA, Philippines — “Get a dictionary and look up what ‘upright’ means.”

This was what Senator Risa Hontiveros told President Rodrigo Duterte on Saturday after the Chief Executive vouched for sacked Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) head Nicanor Faeldon’s integrity.

“Kung ‘upright’ yan, ‘di mo yan sinibak sa pwesto, (If he’s upright, you didn’t have to fire him),” Hontiveros hit back at Duterte in a Facebook post.

Despite firing Faeldon following the controversy on the release of heinous crimes convicts due to the good conduct time allowance (GCTA) law, Duterte still had good words about the former BuCor Chief.

“Si Faeldon, tarong na nga tawo (Faeldon is an upright man). I still believe in him,” Duterte said in a speech at the launching of the housing project for landslide victims in Naga City, Cebu on Friday.

READ: Duterte vouches for Faeldon’s integrity, calls him ‘tarong nga tawo’ (an upright man)

“‘Upright’ ba ang nagpakawala ng mga Chinese druglords at muntik na ng isang unrepentant rapist-murderer?” Hontiveros added, referring to the release of four Chinese drug lords and the attempted early release of former Calauan, Laguna mayor Antonio Sanchez.

Hontiveros was one of the senators who had called for the sacking for Faeldon as BuCor chief, adding that he should also face appropriate administrative and criminal cases.   /muf

READ: BuCor chief Faeldon must be fired, charged – Hontiveros