(Eagle News) – Former Customs commissioner Nicanor Faeldon accused Senator Panfilo Lacson of being irresponsible when he “destroyed” his and his men’s reputation at the Bureau of Customs, and claimed that the senator’s son was involved in the smuggling of cement in the country.
In a press conference in Taytay, Rizal on Thursday, Faeldon claimed that “Bon Journo,” a company connected to Panfilo Lacson Jr., son of the senator, was the “number one smuggler of cement in the Philippines.”
He also hinted that Lacson was protecting his son.
“Ito na iyong kinatatakutan mo Sen. Lacson. We’re close to getting you. Kung hindi nyo alam activity ni Panfilo Lacson Jr., smuggler po kayo,” he said. “Player po ba kayo?”
“Hindi ako irresponsible senator Lacson. I do not want to destroy the reputation of innocent people, para lang magpasikat lang ako,” Faeldon claimed in a press conference held a day after Senator Lacson detailed the “tara” system of corruption at the bureau, and revealed the top BOC officials, including Faeldon, allegedly receiving bribe money.
Faeldon, a former Magdalo soldier, insisted he was not corrupt as he denied that he had ever received bribe money at the BOC.
He claimed that in his first few days of office, there was indeed an attempt to bribe him through a random text, but that he rejected this. He said the offer was P300,000 weekly.
“They want us all out,” claimed Faeldon in explaining why Lacson had named him and his officials at the Customs bureau as being involved in corruption.
He claimed he had a letter written by the Cement Manufacturers of the Philippines tagging “Bon Journo” as the “number one smuggler of cement in the Philippines.”
Faeldon claimed he has the papers detailing the transactions of Bon Journo which he claimed had at least 67 shipments of imported cement that were worth billions of pesos, even with “only” a paid-up capital of P20,000.
The former Customs chief had earlier received flak for “incompetence” after hundreds of kilos of illegal drugs, particularly shabu, passed through the bureau’s “green lane” that did not require any inspection.
Both the Senate and House of Representatives held hearings on the matter.
Senator Lacson, on Wednesday (August 23), detailed the well-entrenched corruption at the BOC during a privilege speech at the Senate.
In his speech, Faeldon said he was among those receiving bribe money and that he had been eaten by the system of corruption in the bureau.
Lacson said he had verified and “vetted” his information before he read these out in his privilege speech.
Before Lacson’s privilege speech, President Rodrigo Duterte already announced that Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency chief, Director Isidro Lapena, would be replacing Faeldon as Customs commissioner.
