President Rodrigo Duterte’s recent appointment of ex-Bureau of Customs (BOC) chief Nicanor Faeldon as deputy administrator of the Department of National Defense’s (DND) Office of Civil Defense gained criticisms, one from Senator JV Ejercito who said that someone who has a clean record would have been more deserving of the post.
Although Ejercito respects the president’s decision, the senator said he thinks it is best that those whose slate are untainted are appointed to public office because in this industry “public service is a public trust.”
“It’s the prerogative of the President to appoint who he has trust and confidence,” Ejercito said in a text message to the media.
“But personally, I would rather that appointees or those who intend to run for public office does not have any derogatory record or blemish in their track record because they are entering public service,” he added.
Faeldon is currently detained at the Senate after he was cited in contempt for not attending hearings on the BOC drug-smuggling probe.
In spite of this, Duterte signed Faeldon’s appointment papers on December 22 which was released by Malacañang on December 27.
(DAILY NEWS ROUND UP FOR 12/ 28 / 17)