Filipino official’s son arrested in drugs raid

MANILA: The son and namesake of a close aide of President Rodrigo “Rody” Duterte was arrested during a police raid on a suspected illegal drugs den allegedly maintained by a businessman in Naga City in the Bicol Region.

Senior Superintendent Felix Servila, the police chief, reported that Nicanor Faeldon Junior was arrested during a raid on the house of businessman Russel Lanuza Bermudo, 47, in a “barangay” (village) in Naga City at dawn on Friday.

Servila said his men, who were armed with a search warrant issued by a regional court, arrested the young Faeldon as well as three others, including Bermudo inside the house where they confiscated seven packets of the illegal drug shabu (crystal meth).

Faeldon is the son and namesake of Nicanor Faeldon, the incumbent chief of the Bureau of Corrections, a former rebel military oficer and acknowledged as a close but controversial Duterte aide who also once served as the head of the Bureau of Customs and a deputy at the Ofice of Civil Defense.

When contacted, Faeldon assured he would not interfere in the investigation and even vowed to “obliterate” his son from the ‘face of the earth” if police found him positive for drug abuse and involvement.

“I will not lift a inger to inluence their ongoing investigation and arrest (based on the police standard operating procedure). Let the axe fall where it may,” Faeldon emphasized, adding he would also resign if his son was found to be actively involved in illegal drugs.

He recalled that his son by his former wife sought his permission about seven months ago to continue his studies in Naga City without giving any reason.

But as it turned out, policemen disclosed that Faeldon’s son told them he was at the raided house because he was visiting his girlfriend who is the daughter of Bermudo, the suspected drug den maintainer.

Police also reported that they did not ind shabu or any other illegal drug in the possession of Faeldon’s son.

But police added they would still subject the son to further investigation including the possibility of including him in the iling of criminal charges of alleged illegal possession of illegal drugs against those arrested in the raid.