Detained former Customs Commissioner Nicanor Faeldon on Thursday accused Chairman of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee (SBRC) Richard Gordon of inflicting “cruel, degrading, and inhumane punishment” on him.
Through a press statement that he claimed could cost his visitation rights, electricity, and water, Faeldon called out Gordon for his treatment against him.
“I thought all along that cruel, degrading, and inhuman punishment had been outlawed under our Constitution. I was wrong. Sen. Gordon in his capacity as chairman of the SBRC, and for reasons known only to him, has inflicted and is inflicting upon me the following cruel, degrading, and inhumane punishment,” he said.
Faeldon listed five instances in which he was deprived of his rights.
According to him, Gordon denied his request to take his oath of office before Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Delfin Lorenzana after being appointed as deputy administrator in the Office of Civil Defense (OCD). He was also denied of being examined by his cardiologist due to his heart ailment.
The Senator also denied his personal requests like spending his Christmas and New Year with his loved ones, attending to his religious practices, and being present at his youngest child’s birth.
“I have been reliably informed that Sen. Gordon did all of the above upon orders of the cement-smuggler senator who vowed vengeance against me for exposing his and his son’s cement-smuggling racket. I was wrong again,” Faeldon stated.
Though indirectly stated, the former Bureau of Customs (BOC) Commissioner was referring to Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson and his son Panfilo “Pampi” Lacson Jr., whom he earlier accused of cement-smuggling. Lacson has earlier denied his and his son’s involvement in Faeldon’s claims.
(Read: Lacson says he’ll sue son if guilty)
“While I totally expected extreme cruelty from the likes of Lacson and [Antonio] Trillanes, I never expected that from Sen. Gordon. What happened to you Sen. Gordon?” Faeldon added.