After being detained for six months on contempt charges, Senate Blue Ribbon committee Senator Richard Gordon yesterday ordered the release of former Bureau of Customs commissioner Nicanor Faeldon.
Faeldon was hauled at the Senate detention facility last September for repeatedly snubbing the committee’s probe into the P6.5-billion smuggling of shabu from China, smuggled in the country through the BOC. He was transferred to the Pasay City Jail last Jan. 29.
Gordon ordered the release of Faeldon after the former BOC chief promised that he will no longer engage senators in “backtalking” when questioned and will heed summons of the Blue Ribbon committee.
During the resumption of the hearing, Gordon even teased Faeldon to smile as he looks better when he does.
“We will call you on cognizance that when we ask you a question there will be no more back-talking and you will answer the questions directly,” Gordon told Faeldon in yesterday’s resumption of the hearing.
“Yes your honor,” Faeldon said.
“Do you commit to that?” Gordon again asked Faeldon who again gave an affirmative response.
“Alright, so the committee chair hereby orders your release from incarceration,” said Gordon.
“You’re hereby relased subject to the fact that you will conduct yourself as we go on the hearings when we need to. Is that understood?” he added.
Gordon also told Faeldon that “On your own cognizance, on your own disciplinary actuation, you release yourself. But he warned the former Custome offiial that “if you go beyond that I will not hesitate to declare you in contempt again.”
The senator also emphasized that he was not on a power trip when he cites people in contempt. “The committee or the Senate is not on a power trip here,” he added.
Gordon and Faeldon briefly engaged in a short talk after the hearing and the signing of the release order. But Faeldon declined to answer quesions from reporters.
When Gordon was questioned if President Rodrigo Duterte ordered Senate to release Faeldon, who was designated Deputy Director at the Office of the Civil Defense, the senator said Duterte never called him.
Faeldon had never answered any question on his alleged involvement in the massive corruption at the BoC which included the “tara” system and the accusation by Senator Panfilo Lacson that he received P100 million as “welcome gift” when assumed the top post at the BoC.
Faeldon has denied the allegations and shot back at Lacson by naming the senator’s son, Panfilo “Pampi” Lacson Jr, as being involved in cement smuggling.
Jose Dino, Faeldon’s lawyer, said they are very happy “for the very magnanimous gesture of chairman Gordon. What he wants now is just go home… just wants to rest. However, he will report to his new job in the next few days. In the meantime, he will be back to his family first.”
The lawyer said that during Faeldon’s incarceration at the Pasay City Jail, his client lost 28 pounds.
Dino said he was informed by his client that that the pants he was wearing yesterday was the same pants he wore when he was still a cadet.
At one point in the hearing, some people clapped their hands when Faeldon said he will attend the next hearings of Gordon’s committee and answer questions from the senators.
But Gordon blurted out: ”There is no applause here. There is only respect for the Senate, that doesn’t include people trying to applaud the release of somebody whose actions might not have been in accordance with the proper respect due the Senate.”
“You did not disrespect me. You disrespect the Senate and I’m duty-bound to protect the Senate,” he added.
Senator Antonio Trillanes IV also accussed Faeldon as being at the heart” of the multi-billion smuggled shabu from Xiamen, China.
