Lawmakers welcome Duterte’s decision to sack Faeldon

Zubiri said Faeldon was “caught lying” during the two Senate hearings happened last Monday and Tuesday where he had the opportunity to clarify the controversy. (PCOO file photo)

President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday night, September 4, fired Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) Director General Nicanor Faeldon, a decision welcomed by lawmakers.

This development was made amid the controversy on the early release of nearly 2,000 heinous crime convicts. The Chief Executive said Faeldon disobeyed his order not to release inmates convicted of heinous crimes supposedly eligible under the Good Conduct Time Allowance (GCTA) law.

[READ: Duterte fires Faeldon from BuCor]

Sought for comment, Senate President Vicente Sotto III said Faeldon’s sacking was “expected” as the “controversy is untenable.”

“But I hope the other officials will also be asked to resign,” he added.

Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon and Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri also hailed Duterte’s decision, with the latter describing it as a “timely action.”

Zubiri said Faeldon was “caught lying” during the Senate hearings that happened last Monday and Tuesday where he had an opportunity to clarify the controversy.

“He didn’t take his fair chance. I think we gave him fair treatment. He deserves to be removed from the BuCor,” the senator stressed.

Senator Panfilo Lacson, meanwhile, said actions like this gave him enough reason to continue supporting the President’s advocacies and programs against criminality.

“We are like-minded in our position to give preference to the rights of victims and society at large over the rights of criminal offenders,” he said.

House Speaker Alan Cayetano also said he “sincerely believe[s]” that Duterte is “100 percent against corruption.”

“Unfortunately, some people allow to do it, or some people allow those under them to do it,” he said, adding, “Kaya sana magtulong-tulong tayong lahat talaga  (I hope we should help each other) to stamp out corruption.”

Senator Francis Pangilinan, for his part, said Faeldon should not be transferred to other government agencies and that charges must be filed against him. This was not the first time Faeldon faced a controversy. The Bureau of Customs, under his watch, made headlines in 2017 when some P6.4-billion worth of shabu slipped past port inspections.

“Dapat magsilbing aral ito sa administrasyon na kapag tinanggal ang nasasangkot sa anomalya, kinakasuhan ito at hindi nililipat sa ibang ahensya para magkalat ulit ng kapalpakan (This should serve as a lesson to the administration that if a person involved in anomalies was already fired, he or she should be slapped with charges and not be transferred to other agencies to make the same mistake again),” Pangilinan said, a statement also echoed by Bayan Muna party-list Representative Carlos Zarate and Iloilo Representative Janette Garin.

“Charges must be filed against him and the others who made a mockery of our laws. Mere damage control to insulate other officials or allies of the administration will only further unmask the duplicity of the anti-crime and anti-corruption campaigns of the administration,” Zarate said.

Garin, meanwhile, said, “This government is fighting tooth and nail to rid the country of war and corruption. We can’t have the likes of Mr. Faeldon, who perpetuates misconduct and injustice, in government.”

While Duterte has yet to decide on Faeldon’s replacement, Senator Win Gatchalian urged the President to “appoint someone who has no previous issues of corruption or incompetence.”

On the other hand, Senator Joel Villanueva said he was looking forward to the outcome of the two Senate hearings on the GCTA law, while Senator Imee Marcos said it is time for the Congress to “sort out” the controversial law “as soon as possible.”

The Chief Executive has given a 15-day deadline for all convicts released under the GCTA to turn themselves in or they would be treated as fugitives.

He was also considering offering a reward of one million pesos for the capture of any released heinous crime convict, either he is dead or alive.

Of those released inmates who were convicted of heinous crimes, 797 of them were sentenced for murder, 758 for rape, 274 for robbery with violence or intimidation, 48 for illegal drug law violations, 29 for parricide, five for kidnapping with illegal detention, and three for destructive arson.