Ombudsman panel recommends graft raps vs Faeldon over smuggled P6.4B shabu

FILE – Former Customs Chief Nicanor Faeldon  PHOTO/Joan Bondoc, PDI

The Office of the Ombudsman’s special fact-finding team has recommended graft and illegal drug charges against former Customs commissioner Nicanor Faeldon over the P6.4 billion shabu shipment that was smuggled into the country.

In a statement on Wednesday, the Ombudsman said that criminal charges for violation of Section 3(e) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act (RA 3019) against were recommended by the fact-finding panel against Faeldon.

READ: Ombudsman panel clears Paolo Duterte in P6.4-B shabu shipment case

The charges were recommended in connection with the seizure of the drug shipment during a raid on a warehouse owned by the Philippine Hongfei Logistics Group of Companies, Inc. in Valenzuela City.

The raid, conducted on May 26, 2017, involved the controlled delivery of a shipment declared to contain printing cylinders.

According to the Ombudsman, field investigators said: “Evidence suggests that numerous laws and administrative issuances pertaining to the proper search, seizure, handling and controlled delivery of drugs were violated by the public officers.”

Aside from Faeldon, the panel also recommended charges for violation of Section 3(e) of RA 3019 against Import Assessment Service (IAS) Director Milo Maestrecampo, Risk Management Office (RMO) Chief Larribert Hilario and Accounts Management Office (AMO) Chief Mary Grace Tecson-Malabed.

Charges of grave misconduct were also recommended by the panel against Faeldon, as well as Customs officials Joel Pinawin and Oliver Valienta.

The fact-finding panel also recommended charges for gross neglect of duty and grave misconduct against AMO chief Tecson-Malabed and IAS Director Maestrecampo.

Likewise, the panel recommended additional charges of usurpation and official functions under Article 177 of the Revised Penal Code and violation of Section 32 of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 against Faeldon.

Charges for violation of Section 3(a) of RA 3019 would also be filed against Faeldon and former BOC Director Neil Anthony Estrella.

“The criminal and administrative charges will undergo preliminary investigation and administrative adjudication, respectively,” the Ombudsman said in a statement.

Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales took no part in the fact-finding investigation, the statement from her office clarified.