MANILA, Philippines – The House of Representatives’ ways and means committee on Wednesday, August 9, voted to check the health condition of Bureau of Customs (BOC) Commissioner Nicanor Faeldon after he skipped another legislative hearing. 

During its 3rd hearing to probe how P6.4 billion worth of shabu from China made it past the bureau, the committee decided to send the House’s chief medical officer to check on Faeldon, who said through this chief-of-staff that he was confined in the hospital. 

The House chief medical officer has been tasked to determine the status of the commissioner by Friday, August 11.

According to Faeldon’s chief aide, lawyer Mandy Anderson, the commissioner is confined at the Manila East Medical Center in Taytay, Rizal. 

In a previous hearing in the Senate, on August 9, Faeldon notified the blue ribbon committee he couldn’t attend the hearing because of “acute coronary syndrome” and “hypertension.”

On August 7, the BOC chief also skipped the House hearing called by the House dangerous drugs committee hearing because of a “dental emergency.”

The customs commissioner has been the subject of scrutiny the past few weeks. Three separate legislative committees are investigating the case: the Senate’s blue ribbon committee, the House ways and means committee, and the House dangerous drugs committee. 

A Customs broker linked to the dubious shipment earlier revealed a detailed breakdown of the tara or “grease money” he would give several BOC officials to hasten the processing and release of documents and shipments. – Rappler.com