MANILA, Philippines 鈥� Opposition Senator Risa Hontiveros urged听 President听 Rodrigo Duterte on Monday to fire beleaguered Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) chief Nicanor听 Faeldon.
Faeldon听is again at the center听of听controversy, this time, over听the reported release of convicted high profile听inmates due to good behavior.
Among those allegedly issued听a release order听was former Calauan, Laguna Mayor Antonio Sanchez,听 who was convicted for the brutal killings of two University of the Philippines 鈥� Los Banos students in the 1990s.
鈥淚 call on President Rodrigo Duterte to respond decisively to this travesty of justice and immediately fire Faeldon,鈥� Hontiveros said in a statement.
鈥淪ection 6 of RA 10592 penalizes officials who violate the law with perpetual disqualification from holding public office and imprisonment. Faeldon should be removed from public office and charged with the appropriate administrative and criminal cases,鈥澨齭he added.
It was also based on the听same听law,听Republic Act 10592, where nearly 2,000 听 prisoners听convicted of heinous crimes have been released听since听its enactment听in 2013.
The said law increases the good conduct time allowance (GCTA) that can be deducted from an inmate鈥檚 total jail term.
鈥淧resident Duterte should stop his practice of recycling questionable appointees from one department to another. The courtroom, where he should stand accused of obstructing justice and betraying the public interest, should be the last stop for the overly recycled and department-hopping Faeldon,鈥澨� Hontiveros said.
She said this was not the first time that听鈥淔aeldon has failed in handling critical positions.鈥�
鈥淲hen he was head of the Bureau of Customs (BOC), P 6.4 billion worth of shabu from China slipped through our ports and the 鈥渢ara system鈥� worsened. The Ombudsman itself recommended the filing of both administrative and criminal charges. It seems that everywhere Faeldon goes, corruption and abuse of power follow,鈥� said the senator.
After he was dragged听into the shabu smuggling听controversy, 听Faeldon听vacated his post at the BoC but he was later appointed deputy administrator III at the Office of Civil Defense (OCD).
In October 2018,听 he was appointed as head of the BuCor.
Aside from the dismissal of Faeldon, Hontiveros also joined the call to reshuffle BuCor personnel and revamp internal procedures.
鈥淚t鈥檚 time to clean house. Our already struggling justice system cannot afford further damage. Justice cannot be served by people who are only too willing to bend it,鈥� she said.
During the weekend,听Senate President听Vicente Sotto III urged the President to 鈥渞evamp the entire officialdom of the BuCor.鈥�
鈥淭his travesty of Justice is condemnable,鈥澨� Sotto said. /gsg
READ: Sotto: Duterte must revamp BuCor
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