MANILA, Philippines (3rd UPDATE) – Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) chief Nicanor Faeldon attends the Senate hearing on Monday, September 2, on the Good Conduct Time Allowance (GCTA) and the release of convicted inmates but not before he could hit “grudge-bearers.”

Faeldon arrived past 9am Monday at the Senate and said he had no intention of snubbing the invitation.

Faeldon told reporters, “Gusto ko talaga, in fact last week ko pa pina-cancel ang ibang activities ko para mabigyan ng priority lahat ng hearing (I really want to be here, in fact I had my other activities canceled since last week so I can give priority to the hearings).”

Jose Diño, Faeldon’s legal spokesperson, earlier confirmed the prisons chief’s attendance to Rappler.

In a series of tweets posted Sunday night, September 1, Diño said “exactly the same grudge-bearers have come-out against Director General (DG) Faeldon with wild insinuations of bribery and corruption.”

In the tweets, Diño described Faeldon’s “grudge-bearers,” the same people, he said, who came after the prisons chief over the smuggled shabu scandal at the Bureau of Customs (BOC).

“One is a protector of his smuggler-son, and who invented accusations of tara but who miserably failed to present even a single witness or document during the 13 hearings of the blue ribbon committee,” Diño said.

Diño added: “Another is an influence peddler who failed in his insistence for then BOC Comm. Faeldon to promote his bata, a corrupt customs officer. The other is a yellow remnant who tried but failed to arm-twist then BOC Commissioner Faeldon to sign a MOA which was disadvantageous to BOC.”

“Malalim ang hugot at obvious grudges ng 3 maiingay na ito,” said Diño.

(The grudges of these 3 noisy people go deep and it is obvious.) 

The Senate Blue Ribbon and Justice Committees will handle the investigation on Monday, including loopholes of the Aquino-time law, and the implementation of releases of inmates under Faeldon.

Senate President Tito Sotto and Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson have slammed Faeldon over the entire issue.

Lacson has since revealed that convicted Chinese drug lords, and convicted murderers in the high-profile Chiong sisters slay n Cebu, have also been released.

Sotto has called for a revamp of the BuCor.

Faeldon’s last hearings in the Senate were over the Customs issue and which landed him in jail for contempt.

In the interests of Truth, Transparency and Full Disclosure

Exactly the same grudge-bearers have come-out against DG Faeldon with wild insinuations of bribery and corruption.

One is a protector of his smuggler-son, and who invented accusations of tara but who miserably failed..

— Team Faeldon (@FaeldonLegal) September 1, 2019

Release of inmates

Diño insisted that Faeldon did not sign the release order of convicted rapist and murderer Antonio Sanchez, despite documents showing his signature on them, as reported by GMA News. Faeldon has also earlier denied to Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra that he signed the release order.

“No, he did not. The Prisons Superintendent is the one who issues a release order. DG Faeldon immediately aborted Sanchez’s release by ordering a more thorough review of his GCTA approval,” said Diño.

But Faeldon admitted signing the release orders of heinous crimes convicts. Faeldon’s legal chief at the BuCor, Fredric Santos, earlier explained that it was the interpretation of the law at the time that heinous crimes convicts are covered in the GCTA.

“But so did ALL of his predecessors who, like him, relied on the expert review, validation and processing by an Management, Screening and Evaluation Committee (MSEC) committee, which recommended the GCTA approvals. MSEC members are Bucor career officers and men,” said Diño.

A review being conducted has the thrust of excluding heinous crimes – a position reiterated by Guevarra.

Guevarra was also in attendance at the Senate. – Rappler.com