‘Faeldon can still get new post’

MANILA, Philippines — President Duterte can appoint dismissed corrections chief Nicanor Faeldon to another post if he wants to, Malacañang said yesterday.

Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo said Duterte is convinced that Faeldon, who is facing controversy over the early release of high-profile heinous crime convicts for supposed good conduct, has a clean record.

“The President fired him because of not following his order... not because of corruption. That’s the point of the President. There is corruption inside so everybody might think that he was being fired for that. That’s not the case,” Panelo said in a radio interview.

“It appears that there’s a lot of corruption below, but with regard to the high levels, as far as the President is concerned, his record is still clean,” Panelo added.

Asked if Duterte would reappoint Faeldon to another position, Panelo replied: “That’s the call of the President, if he wants him appointed to another position.”

Instead of placing Faeldon in another government post, Vice President Leni Robredo’s spokesman, however, said he should be charged.

“If proven that there’s really GCTA (good conduct time allowance) for sale, it should not stop with the removal from office, there should also be prosecution,” lawyer Barry Gutierrez said over dzXL.

Witness Yolanda Camilon revealed in a Senate hearing on Thursday the massive racket of prison officials, where convicts are released by tampering with their good behavior records in exchange for huge sums of money.

Gutierrez said a person could still be charged before the Ombudsman when the act was committed while he or she was a public officer.

Not corrupt

Panelo said Duterte’s remark that Faeldon is not corrupt would not preempt the ombudsman’s investigation on the alleged irregularities in the implementation of GCTA law.

“The ombudsman does not side with anyone. If the ombudsman says you will be investigated, you would really be investigated... If there is probable cause, cases will be filed,” he added.

Faeldon and other BuCor officials are being investigated over the discharge of high-profile inmates for good behavior under the GCTA law. The law, which took effect in 2013, does not cover convicts guilty of heinous crimes.

Faeldon has denied ordering Sanchez’s release but admitted signing a “memorandum of release starting the process of release of any person deprived of liberty.”

It was not the first time Faeldon became the center of controversy. Two years ago, he resigned as customs chief while under fire over the entry of P6.4 billion worth of shabu in the country.

Last Wednesday, Duterte ordered the immediate resignation of Faeldon for disobeying his order not to release convicts who displayed good conduct “until further notice by higher authorities.” The President, however, did not give a categorical answer when asked whether he would reappoint the former corrections chief to another post.

Two days later, the President said he still believes in Faeldon, describing him as “an upright person.”  – With Alexis Romero