Lacson: Faeldon may have received P100-M 'welcome gift' at BOC

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Panfilo Lacson on Wednesday alleged that former Customs chief Nicanor Faeldon may have received a P100-million “welcome gift” when he assumed office last year, an allegation that goes against President Rodrigo Duterte’s repeated public assertions that the former military man is clean.

Lacson said that P25 million of the amount was given to a certain Joel Teves as a "finder’s fee."

“Loud whispers in the four corners of the Bureau of Customs compound tell of a P100-million 'pasalubong' to the newly-installed commissioner, a quarter of which, or P25 million was retained as finder's fee by his middleman named Joel Teves,” Lacson said in a privilege speech in the Senate.

Faeldon in a statement, denied participating in the so-called "tara" system of bribes at the Customs bureau 

"Again, I have not done any form of corruption in my many years of government service nor tolerated those who tried even in the form of request," he said. He also said an investigation by a a competent "third party" to get to the truth of the allegations.

'Tell it to the Marines'

Lacson also blasted Faeldon for claiming that the lack of personnel hindered his efforts to rid the Bureau of Customs of corruption, especially the ‘tara’ system.

The senator, a former chief of the Philippine National Police, said that as early as July 1 last year, Faeldon already hired the services of Gerardo Gambala, Milo Maestrecampo, Mandy Anderson and Henry Anthony Torres as technical assistants. They received compensations of between P40,000 to P50,000 under thiose contracts.

“Boo-Hoo! Tell that to the Marines, Mr. Faeldon, but not to this institution,” Lacson said. “Kitang kita, the lies.”

Faeldon, as it happens, was a captain in the Philippine Marine Corps.

P6.4-B shabu shipment

Faeldon and BOC officials are under intense scrutiny and criticism after 604 kg of methamphetamine, or shabu, worth P6.4 billion were able to slip through Customs checks and ended up in a warehouse in Valenzuela City, where they were later seized in a Customs-led operation.

Initially headlined as a successful cooperation between Filipino and Chinese Customs authorities, the discovery has prompted separate House and Senate investigations into how such a huge amount of illegal drugs ended up in a warehouse in the first place.

Duterte has vouched for the integrity of Faeldon, saying that he was an “honest” man. The president blamed corrupt BOC officials for allowing the shabu shipment to slip through.

The president vowed in the past to fire officials even if there was only a "whiff of corruption" and to resign if one of his children got embroiled in any irregularity.

Lacson said that such transaction could only be done with the acquiescence of Customs officials. He also alleged that these officials may have received money in the process.

“We can see the peso signs in billions,” he said.

'He should have stood firm even if he was alone'

During one of the Senate hearings, Faeldon admitted that there was still corruption in the BOC, usually tagged in surveys as one of the most corrupt government agencies.

The former BOC chief reasoned that cleaning up the agency was difficult as he was alone and the personnel he needed were appointed only in December and January.

Lacson obviously did not buy this.

“Even granting Mr. Faeldon's assertion that he was working alone, if he was the principled man that he said he is, he should have stood firm even if he was alone,” he said.

Lacson alleged that Faeldon may have been eaten by the system and become involved in corruption in the BOC.

“Unfortunately, instead of going against the system, siya ang kinain ng sistema, thereby effectively tolerating and even promoting the impunity of corruption,” he said.

Duterte has accepted the resignation of Faeldon and appointed Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency Director General Isidro Lapeña as the new head of BOC.

Despite accepting the resignation of Faeldon, Duterte still stands by his embattled former Customs boss.