(Eagle News) — Former Customs Commissioner Nicanor Faeldon and the Davao councilor being tagged in illegal activities in the Customs department were no-shows in Tuesday’s Senate blue ribbon committee hearing on the P6.4-billion drug shipment that entered the country via Customs express lanes.
The hearing is the fifth being held by the committee on the drug shipment, and comes right after Senator Panfilo Lacson accused Faeldon of receiving a P150-million “pasalubong” when he took the helm of the Customs department in an explosive privilege speech.
Also a no-show was Davao Councilor Nilo “Small” Abellera, whom fixer Mark Taguba tagged as being part of the Davao Group with whom he said he had dealings to move his shipment through Customs with ease.
In his privilege speech, Lacson had also detailed the systemic corruption that he said sees high-ranking Customs officials, including Faeldon, receiving grease money from individuals who wish to pay less dues for their shipment.
Faeldon immediately called a press conference denying Lacson’s allegations, and accused the senator’s son Panfilo Lacson Jr. of not paying the proper taxes for his cement shipment.
But Lacson denied the allegations, noting that it would not have seemed logical for him to expose the shenanigans in the Customs department if his son was engaged in illegal activities.
He added Faeldon should have not waited to make such an announcement in a press conference after his privilege speech, and should have charged his son immediately.