Faeldon not absent as BuCor chief, just not appointed yet

MANILA, Philippines — Amid reports that he has yet to report to his new post as Bureau of Corrections director general, the camp of Nicanor Faeldon on Monday clarified that he has not been officially appointed yet.

Lawyer Jose Diño Jr., in a statement, said that there “was/is no appointment to speak of” regarding the supposed appointment of Faeldon as the new BuCor chief.

“Unless and until he receives a copy of an official appointment, then there is no appointment to speak of,” lawyer Jose Diño Jr. said in a separate message to reporters.

Guevarra said last month that President Rodrigo Duterte picked Faeldon to head the Bureau of Corrections. This was after former police chief Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa filed his certificate of candidacy for the 2019 midterm elections.

Faeldon used to be Customs commissioner, but he resigned amid controversy around the P6.4-billion shabu shipment that slipped past the bureau.

The president has since re-appointed him as deputy administrator of the Office of Civil Defense, which is under the Department of National Defense.

DOJ: Faeldon has not shown up

Almost one month since Faeldon’s supposed transfer to the BuCor, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said that Faeldon had not “shown up or said anything.” He also said that he has brought the matter up with Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea.

Faeldon’s camp also pointed out that the Malacañang does not make “proposed appointment” public.

“In all of my public positions, I have no record at all of being a ‘no-show,’ much less being a delinquent as I am now being unfairly labelled,” the statement quoting Faeldon read.

They stressed that there has yet to be an appointment from the Palace: “Wouldn’t I be the worst laughing stock public-office usurper if I assumed a position to which I was not appointed to?”

READ: Duterte defends Lapeña, Faeldon: They were just outplayed

Guevarra: Appointment pending

The Justice secretary clarified that after Duterte said that he wanted Faeldon to take over dela Rosa’s vacated spot, the DOJ—head agency of BuCor—has started working on the documents.

“The president stated a month ago that he wanted Nicanor Faeldon to replace [dela Rosa] as BuCor head. So the DOJ wrote to the Civil Service Commission and requested the latter to evaluate and endorse Faeldon to the Office of the President as part of the legal requirements for processing the appointment,” he said.

Guevarra noted that “to date, the appointment itself has not been executed.”

“I just find it curious that he has not said anything about the president’s desire to appoint him. I suppose he’s being prudent; maybe just waiting for the appointment process to be completed,” he added.