Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 29) — The House Committee on Dangerous Drugs will recommend the filing of criminal and administrative charges against former Customs Commissioner Nicanor Faeldon and other Customs officials over the P6.4-billion drug shipment that entered the country.
Committee Chairman Ace Barbers on Tuesday said among the charges they will recommend to the Ombudsman and the Justice Department are violations of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, violations of the revised penal code for mishandling the delivery of drugs after they were seized, and violations of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act.
“Sa anti-graft, sa direct bribery, saka yung corruption of public official. Kasama sila doon, these are all criminal offenses. Anything that is related sa corruption,” Barbers said.
Barbers said Faeldon mishandled the anti-illegal drug operation when Customs officials and agents did not coordinate with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and failed to secure a search warrant for the operation.
“A violation ng Dangerous Drugs Board Regulation number 1 and number 2, sa chain of custody ng evidence, at saka sa conduct of controlled delivery,” Barbers said.
The lawmaker added the committee is also looking at recommending criminal charges against Faeldon for planting of evidence, which is punishable by reclusion perpetua.
“We’re looking at possible planting of evidence versus Commissioner Faeldon for ordering the 100 kg of shabu to be delivered to another warehouse kung saan nahuli yung Fidel Anoche Dee, yung caretaker. We’re looking at that at the moment, as I speak,” Barbers said.
He explained that the delivery would have been allowed had Faeldon sought clearance from PDEA.
“May ganoong method, controlled delivery. It is allowed, provided they get clearance from the director general of PDEA and hindi yung bukas na, tinanggal mo sa crate, saka mo dadalhin doon. Because the evidence will not be considered tampered evidence.,” Barbers said.
Barbers said the committee also recommends the filing of criminal charges of direct bribery against other Customs officials who supposedly accepted money from private individuals to speed up the processing of their shipments.
The lawmaker also earlier said that the committee will recommend the filing of criminal charges for importation of dangerous drugs, smuggling, and direct bribery against Richard Tan, Kenneth Dong, Mark Taguba, TJ Marcillana, and Eirene Tatad, who were linked the P6.4-billion shabu shipment.
The committee will also recommend the filing of cases against Faeldon’s chief of staff Mandy Anderson, for usurpation of authority, and falsification of public documents, when she signed the daily time records of athletes hired by the bureau, even if she does not have the authority to do so.
