Faeldon yet to assume post as BuCor chief: Guevarra

Meanwhile, Guevarra said he has appointed BuCor Deputy Director General Melvin Ramon Buenafe as officer-in-charge of BuCor. (PNA Photo)

MANILA — Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra on Saturday said former Customs chief Nicanor Faeldon has yet to assume his new post as head of the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor).

“Mr. Faeldon has not assumed office as of today. I will confer with him as soon as he accepts the job and reports for work,” Guevarra said in a text message sent to reporters.

Meanwhile, Guevarra said he has appointed BuCor Deputy Director General Melvin Ramon Buenafe as officer-in-charge of BuCor.

Guevarra, however, said Faeldon can still refuse the post.

“No one can be compelled to accept any employment,” he said.

The Bucor is one of the attached agencies of the DOJ.

President Rodrigo Duterte said Faeldon will replace retired Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General dela Rosa, who will run for senator under the banner of PDP-Laban.

Faeldon, 53, was a captain in the Philippine Marines when he participated in a mutiny against the government in 2003.

When Duterte won the presidency, Faeldon was appointed as BOC commissioner.

In August 2017, he resigned from the bureau after his name was dragged into a PHP6.4-billion shabu shipment where he was suspected to have pocketed millions of pesos in bribe money allegedly in exchange for allowing the drug shipment to slip out of the Manila International Container Port (MICP).

Faeldon is currently Deputy Administrator for Operations of the Office of Civil Defense (OCD).