Faeldon: ‘I’ll gladly stay in jail’ than attend Senate probe

MANILA, Philippines – Former Customs commissioner Nicanor Faeldon said he will go to the Senate on Monday, September 11, not to attend a scheduled hearing which he had been invited to attend but to  volunteer “to go to jail.”

Faeldon made the statement on Friday, September 8, a day after the Senate blue ribbon committee cited him in contempt for skipping hearings on the P6.4-billion shabu shipment from China, and warned him of arrest if he failed to show up at the Monday hearing.

“By Monday, I will go to the Senate and have myself arrested but I will not go to attend the hearing,” he said in a media interview outside his home.

He said he will “gladly” remain in jail until a “competent court” can clarify how  “constitutionally-guaranteed rights” of citizens can be protected when they are the subject of privilege speeches of lawmakers and are resource persons at congressional inquiries.

“I will gladly stay in jail until this has been [clarified] by the competent court – baka  Supreme Court gusto niyang linawin ito. Ano ba talaga? Puwede na ba nating burahin ‘yung Bill of Rights para paboran ang  conduct of [congressional] inquiries and during their speeches, puwede nilang sabihin whatever they  want to say against those innocent resource persons?“ Faeldon asked.

(I will gladly stay in jail until this has been [clarified] by the competent court – maybe the Supreme Court wants to clarify this. What’s the real score? Can we erase the Bill of Rights in favor of the conduct of [congressional] inquiries and during their speeches, they can just say whatever they want to say against those innocent resource persons?)

He said “innocent” resource persons and subjects of lawmakers ‘privilege speeches have become “victims” themselves. Faeldon added that their families have been “traumatized” by “baseless” allegations.

In a privilege speech on August 23, Senator Panfilo Lacson accused Faeldon and other Bureau of Customs officials of accepting bribes. Faeldon and others named in the list denied the allegation. (READ: Lacson names ‘corrupt’ Customs officials led by Faeldon)

On Friday, Faeldon said some security officers from the Senate went to his home to inform him that if he wants to coordinate directly with Senator Richard Gordon, Senate blue ribbon committee chair, “the line is open.”

To this, the former Customs chief said: “There is no coordination to be made….If it will take years for me to stay in jail for this to be resolved, I will volunteer. Ito ang mensahe ko sa kanila (This is my message to them).”

He added that Senate security can even “carry” him after his arrest and force him to attend the Senate hearing on Monday but he “will not participate.”

Faeldon also reiterated that he would attend any hearing connected to the allegations against him, but only in the proper court. – Rappler.com