Duterte stands by Faeldon amid BOC controversy

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has stood by Customs Commissioner Nicanor Faeldon following calls for him to resign over the Bureau of Customs' (BOC) failure to detect the smuggling of P6.4 billion worth of shabu shipment into the country.

The President reiterated Wednesday that Faeldon has his full support and trust, saying the former military officer was merely a victim of corrupt BOC officials who continue to perform illegal activities.

A number of lawmakers, including Duterte's staunch ally, House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, have called for Faeldon's resignation after investigations found that the illegal drugs from China entered the country through the green lane of the BOC, without inspection.

The President admitted he faced difficulties in addressing the drug problem because some of the workers in BOC are in cahoots with drug personalities.

“I really can't solve it. [Workers] in Customs are betraying me behind my back. Can you solve it [if that's the case]? But Faeldon, I stand by him, to be honest. He was merely betrayed because all [those working in] Customs are corrupt,” Duterte said at the celebration of 19th anniversary of Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption held in Malacanang Palace.

Duterte repeated his statement following appeals of Alvarez and other lawmakers that Faeldon should quit his post after more than 600 kilos of shabu from China slipped past the BOC's green lane.

On Wednesday, Alvarez again advised Faeldon to resign from his post to spare the President from further embarrassment.

"Illegal drugs, hindi lang po ito gramo-gramo, hindi lang ito kilo-kilo. Tons po ang pinag-uusapan dito. Yung corruption, malinaw na malinaw na sa committee hearing may corruptions…So for those two main reasons, I think he should spare the President from further embarrassment," Alvarez said.

On August 2, the President said he believed in Faeldon's "integrity" despite the illegal shabu shipment.

He said that Faeldon's fate would depend on the hearings conducted by both the Senate and the House of Representatives, in connection with the discovery of P6.4 billion worth of shabu in Valenzuela City.

Duterte's restrained remark had prompted his critic, Senator Antonio Trillanes IV,

to question his apparent silence even though it involved hundreds of kilos of illegal drugs.

“Duterte gets infuriated when it comes to illegal drugs. He curses those who criticize him but on the entry of [over] P6 billion worth of shabu, he seems to be speechless,” Trillanes said.

Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella, however, had downplayed Trillanes’ statement, saying that it was “not unusual” that the President preferred to keep silent on the issue.

Abella said Duterte does not merely want to intervene in the investigations conducted by Congress.

“As the President said, he does not intervene in matters like this. He will allow the process to unfold. So it’s not unusual that he’s quiet about that. He’s simply saying that he will not interfere because the process has begun,” he said. SunStar Philippines