Faeldon files ethics complaint vs Lacson
NICANOR E. FAELDON on Monday filed an ethics complaint against Sen. Panfilo M. Lacson, Sr. after the lawmaker last month accused the resigned Bureau of Customs (BoC) chief of being among those benefitting from the systemic corruption at the agency.
Mr. Faeldon, who continues to refuse testifying about the 鈥渢ara鈥 system and drug smuggling at the BoC, remains confined at the Senate in Pasay City but was allowed to get out of his detention room for some minutes to file his complaint against Mr. Lacson.
In his privileged speech last August, Mr. Lacson said Mr. Faeldon 鈥渟hould鈥檝e stood firm鈥 against the tara system at the bureau 鈥渆ven if he鈥檚 alone鈥 but 鈥渋nstead of going against the system, siya ang kinain ng sistema (he was the one eaten by the system).鈥
Among the payolas supposedly received by Mr. Faeldon after he was appointed BoC chief last year was a 鈥渨elcome pasalubong (present)鈥 of P100 million, according to the lawmaker.
The former BoC commissioner on Monday said there was no truth to the allegations being hurled against him by Mr. Lacson and that the lawmaker could not use these lies to malign a Senate resource person like him.
Mr. Faeldon also asked if Mr. Lacson was attacking him to protect the interest of the lawmaker鈥檚 son. He challenged Mr. Lacson to show evidence that he had a hand in corrupt activities at the BoC.
Earlier, Mr. Faeldon accused Mr. Lacson鈥檚 son of allegedly smuggling billions of pesos worth of cement by undervaluing freight costs. He also insinuated that Panfilo 鈥淧ampi鈥 Lacson, Jr. and his firm Bonjourno could be 鈥渇ronting鈥 for the senator.
Mr. Faeldon said Mr. Lacson Jr.鈥檚 firm was among the 600 importers he suspended and that he personally knew of four shiploads of cement last year — three in July, within his 鈥渇irst 12 days in office,鈥 worth more than P100 million, and one in October — whose freight cost the senator鈥檚 son allegedly undervalued by at least 50%, declaring $8 a metric ton when the prevailing cost was between $16-$20.
Another ethics complaint will be filed by Mr. Faeldon against Sen. Antonio F. Trillanes IV on Sept. 25. — News5/
