
MANILA – Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) chief Nicanor Faeldon said he will not resign from his post amid growing calls for his ouster following the controversial release of around 2,000 heinous crime convicts on good behavior.
During the joint Senate Blue Ribbon and Justice Committee hearing on Good Conduct Time Allowance (GCTA) on Monday, Faeldon said he will not quit amid the mistakes in GCTA law implementation.
“Sa ganitong kaliwa’t kanan na kapalpakan, pagkukulang tungkol sa GCTA, mga importante pero simpleng tanong na mahirap sagutin dito sa komite na dapat alam na alam niyo agad, kelan po kayo magre-resign sa inyong puwesto bilang BuCor head, Usec?” Sen. Risa Hontiveros asked Faeldon.
“I respect the question of the honorable chair, sir and I defer that question to the appointing authority,” answered Faeldon pertaining to President Rodrigo Duterte.
Hontiveros asked Faeldon if he thinks he should resign following his lapses as BuCor chair but the latter said “I believe no” adding he believes he is doing a “good job” in his office.
“You believe that you are doing a good job? So far, (ang) lumalabas sa hearing na ito would point to a different direction,” Hontiveros said.
Hontiveros slammed Faeldon for repeatedly denying involvement in the release application of former Calauan mayor Antonio Sanchez only to be belied by media reports showing he did, in fact, signed the order.
“Faeldon looked at the Filipino people square in the face, and lied. That alone is reprehensible enough. But the fact that he effectively coddled an unrepentant convicted rapist and murderer, turned a blind eye to Sanchez’s crimes while he is in prison and lied to the public, is a gross violation of the oath of office that all civil servants take,” Hontiveros said.
“And now Faeldon’s office allegedly released a number of Chinese drug traffickers despite the opposition of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, which described the decision as not conforming to the process,” she added.
Several senators urged Duterte to fire Faeldon from the government for good but Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said the president still trusts Faeldon./PN