Published: 5:39 p.m., Jan. 29, 2018 | Updated: 6:18 p.m., Jan. 29, 2018
Senators unanimously agreed in a caucus on Monday to transfer former Customs Commissioner Nicanor Faeldon from his detention at the Senate building to the Pasay City Jail.
Sen. Richard Gordon, chairman of the Senate blue ribbon committee, announced the decision in a brief manifestation on the Senate floor.
鈥淚 just wanted to make it formal that the Senate unanimously declared that Mr. Faeldon will remain charged with contempt and he will now be remanded to the custody of the Pasay City Jail upon order of commitment by the Senate President. And it was agreed upon unanimously, Mr. President,鈥� Gordon said.
鈥淲e will work on the decision that was reached earlier,鈥� said Senate President Aquilino 鈥淜oko鈥� Pimentel III, who was presiding over the session.
In an interview with reporters later, Gordon said Pimentel would have to sign the commitment order before the Senate can turn over custody of Faeldon to the Pasay City Jail. He said he was expecting the order to be signed within the day.
Asked what prompted them to order Faeldon鈥檚 transfer, Gordon pointed to the former Customs chief鈥檚 鈥渂ehavior鈥� during the hearing of the committee earlier in the day.
鈥淚t鈥檚 the behavior. It鈥檚 his defiance na ayaw niyang humarap,鈥� the senator said of Faeldon, who has been detained at the Senate since September last year for repeatedly refusing to participate in the probe.
鈥淵ung behavior niya kanina, okay na sana eh. Ako mismo eh biglang nagtararang na naman,鈥� Gordon said.
Faeldon and Gordon engaged in a verbal tussle during the hearing, with the former Customs chief accusing the senator of 鈥渕onologuing鈥� during the proceedings.
Faeldon also accused Minority Leader Franklin Drilon and Majority Leader Vicente 鈥淭ito鈥� Sotto III of making 鈥渋llegal鈥� requests when he was still the Bureau of Customs鈥� chief.
Gordon said about 20 senators were present in the caucus and all agreed to transfer Faeldon to the Pasay City Jail. /atm