(Eagle News) — President Rodrigo Duterte had asked former Bureau of Customs Commissioner Nicanor Faeldon to take a “a few days off” as both the Senate and the House of Representatives probe the controversial P6.4 billion shabu shipment from China that had put the bureau in hot water.
Faeldon, who had already been replaced by Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) director Isidro Lapeña, had also been accused by senator Panfilo Lacson of being eaten by corruption at the Bureau of Customs.
“I told him to take a few days off. We will … talk about everything after that. Magpahinga ka na lang muna,” Duterte told reporters after the National Heroes Day commemoration at the Libigan ng mga Bayani in Taguig City on Monday, August 28.
Duterte said that Faeldon had tried to resign thrice already.
“Nag-resign thrice. Sabi ko, ‘’Di sige, para…’ Siya ‘yung kusang umalis talaga and he was insisting na, ‘Para mawala na ‘yung issue sa akin,’” Duterte said.
Faeldon continues to insist that he did not take any bribe money while he was the Customs commissioner.
Lawmakers earlier said that more illegal drugs could have passed unnoticed at the Bureau of Customs as the BOC instituted the “green lane” as the default line for all shipments. Items passing through the “green lane” do not pass through x-rays and inspection.
Hearings in the House of Representatives and at the Senate also showed a systemic “tara system” where bribes are regularly paid for every shipment passing through Customs so that inspection of these items would be eased up.