(UPDATED 3 – 1:20 p.m.) MANILA, Philippines — The Senate decided to detain resigned Bureau of Customs chief Nicanor Faeldon after he refused to testify in the chamber’s on-going inquiry into drug smuggling and the BOC’s corrupt activities.
In a press briefing Monday afternoon, Sen. Richard Gordon, chairman of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, said Faeldon had been placed under “temporary incarceration for not following orders and that’s the way it is.”
He said the former BOC chief would be indefinitely detained at the Senate “until he decides to come forward” and testify.
But Gordon said that according to Faeldon, he would only testify in the court and not in the Upper Chamber. “Ayaw n’yang mag-testify dito, gusto n’yang mag-testify sa husgado.”
Faeldon arrived at the Senate in Pasay City before Monday noon and went straight to the Office of the Sergeant of Arms, bringing with him his clothes and other personal belongings.
Faeldon fulfilled his promise of showing up at the Upper Chamber but not attending the inquiry. He earlier said he was ready to be arrested.
Earlier in the day, Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV advised his fellow former mutineer to just feign an excuse if he thought that answering the Senate panel’s questions would be too hot to handle.
“Sa akin po, ‘yong mga ganyang nagdrama, pagka hindi mo kayang harapin…sagutin ‘yong tanong, eh magdadrama ka na lang,” said Trillanes on Monday after he was asked to comment on Faeldon’s decision to show at the Senate hearing but not attend the chamber’s inquiry into irregularities at the BOC, which he used to head.
[For me, those who do drama, if you can’t face it…if you can’t answer the questions, then you just make a drama.]
Trillanes said he had witnessed such cases before when resource persons made up excuses to avoid being quizzed by the Senate.
He said one example was Jejomar Erwin “Junjun” Binay, who refused participating in the Senate probe because the then Makati mayor allegedly found it hard to answer the queries.
“Nakita ko na ‘yan, ginawa ho ‘yang style na ganyan ni dating mayor Junjun Binay…ayaw nang humarap dahil namimilipit nga kung papano sagutin ang mga tanong eh drama na lang.”
“So palagay ko ganyan din ang style na ginagawa ngayon nitong si Faeldon.”