FIREWORKS erupted in the Senate after Blue Ribbon chair Senator Richard Gordon and former Bureau of Customs chief Nicanor Faeldon exchanged barbs during the continuation of the investigation Monday, January 29, into the P6.4-billion shipment of methamphetamine hydrochloride, or "shabu", from China.
Gordon described Faeldon as arrogant and defiant with no humility.
“Your arrogance, your defiance, your demeanor is consistent and your kind of character is your problem. When we feel that you are really guilty, we will call the Ombudsman and the proper government agencies to investigate further for the necessary charges. Napakalaking halaga ng droga ang lumabas nuong panahon mo at hindi natin ito pwedeng ipagwalang bahala,” Gordon said during the hearing.
Gordon also mentioned Arthur Lachica, a BOC official who was assassinated under Faeldon’s watch allegedly for exposing some anomalies. This irked Faeldon, who said the Senate panel was no longer focused on the “tara bribe money” issue but was merely demonizing him and maligning his person.
“I am not insinuating anything. As a marine official, he is under your (Faeldon’s) watch, we know for a fact that we should investigate on what happened to Mr. Lachica who is known for being a straight and good person. I am trying to speak for someone who cannot defend himself anymore. And it is all for the sake of justice,” Gordon retorted.
At the start of the hearing, Gordon said the Senate spent almost P400,000 for Faeldon’s detention at the Senate to make sure that he will be given proper accommodation. He was also allowed to hold a Christmas party with his family, including his father.
“My father has been long dead. I never had a party with anyone specifically my father. It was a simple dinner with some people. You are exaggerating,” Faeldon snapped at Gordon.
“Ito ang logbook and don’t tell me I am exaggerating. You have no right to tell me anything,” Gordon said as he warned Faeldon that he will remain under contempt for his actuation in the hearing.
Faeldon said Gordon was doing a monologue. He accused the senator of not being keen at getting to the bottom of the issue and making it appear that he was not willing to participate in the Senate inquiry.
Gordon, for his part, reminded Faeldon of the incident where he cried when Senator Antonio Trillanes IV asked him on his participation in the controversial shipment. He said Faeldon has been evasive since the start of the hearing.
Gordon put an end to the argument by shutting off Faeldon’s microphone and telling him that he cannot talk until he is asked by the committee chair to do so.
As the hearing progressed, Faeldon disclosed that Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon and Senate Majority Leader Vicente Tito Sotto III were among the public officials who have made requests before his office.
In 2016, he said Drilon requested to meet with him in the Senate and asked him to sign a memorandum of agreement with the office of Ma. Sereno Diokno, then chairperson of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP).
Sotto, meanwhile, allegedly asked Faeldon twice to appoint one official of the BOC to be director of the intelligence in 2016.
Gordon, who defended both Drilon and Sotto, said "congressmen and senators are always besieged. Natural lang sa trabaho namin na pag may nanghihingi ng tulong magkatrabaho, ina-accommodate namin. Pwede
naman iyan tanggihan kung hindi pwede,” Gordon said.
Drilon, for his part, issued a press statement saying the NHCP requested for his help.
“It was a budget of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines and they are requesting for my help because the budget is going to revert. In fact, P9 million was reverted. Number two, this is a project which seeks to restore historical sites in Iloilo city. Number three, less than a dozen of these Custom employees were there and they will not be kicked out; and in fact the office is being improved and they will occupy the third floor. It’s a historical
building. It houses a lot of offices. I cannot understand what he is talking about,” Drilon said.
“The MOA is to allow the NHCP to do the repair of the building. In fact, the building is not even owned by the BOC. The title is the name of the Republic of the Philippines. They are just there by tolerance of the government,” Drilon added. (PS Jun Sarmiento/SunStar Philippines)