MANILA, Philippines — Criminal and graft charges were filed against former Bureau of Customs chief Nicanor Faeldon and 11 other officials and personnel of the BOC over their alleged “incompetence and corruption” that allegedly made it possible for Chinese and Filipino importer-fixers to smuggle P6.4-billion worth of shabu from China.
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The complaint filed by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) before the Department of Justice also named as respondents BOC directors Milo Maestrecampo and Neil Anthony Estrella; intelligence officers Joel Pinawin and Oliver Valiente; Manila International Container Port district collector Vincent Philip Maronilla; Faeldon’s fiancée, lawyer Jeline Maree Magsuc; and employees Alexandra Ventura, John Edillor, Randolph Cabansag, Dennis Maniego, and Dennis Cabildo.
PDEA said the “gross inexcusable negligence, manifest partiality, or bad faith” of Faeldon and the 11 other BOC staffers “made possible the importation” of 602 kilograms of shabu “and the evasion of Chen Ju Long from being arrested and prosecuted.”
Chen Ju Long, also known as Richard Chen and Richard Tan, is the owner of Hong Fei Logistics that has a warehouse in Valenzuela City where the shabu shipment was seized last May after the cargo was able to enter the country via the BOC’s express lane.
According to PDEA, the BOC employees led by Faeldon violated the following laws:
–Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 as amended by R.A. 10640
–Presidential Decree 1829 or the law penalizing obstruction of apprehension and prosecution of criminal offenders
–Article 208 of the Revised Penal Code that punishes government officers for maliciously refraining from instituting prosecution for the punishment of violators
–R.A. 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices
“The said incompetence and corruption effectively shielded and facilitated the escape of Chen Ju Long, the silent architect of the scheme..and prevented his immediate arrest and prospective prosecution for the importation of 602.279 kilograms of methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu,” PDEA said.
“(T)he deliberate failure of” Faeldon and other BOC officials and personnel “to apprehend Chen Ju Long and Chen Rong Huan, their refusal to investigate or turn over the investigation of the matter on-site to the management of PDEA and preventing the institution of a criminal action against them…directly run violative of Revised Penal Code Article 208,” it added.
Also, PDEA filed drug trafficking charges against the alleged importers and facilitators of the shabu shipment and National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) lawyers and investigators namely:
–Chen Ju Long
–Chen Rong Huan
–Manny Li
–Kenneth Dong
–Mark Ruben Taguba II
–Teejay Apostol Marcellana
–Eirene Mae Tatad
–Emily Anoche Dee
–Chen I-Min
–Jhu Ming-Jyun
–NBI lawyer Dennis Siyhian
–NBI special agent and lawyer Marie Catherine Nolasco
–NBI special investigator Marfil B. Baso
–NBI special investigator Joselito C. Guilen
–NBI special investigator Darwin Francisco
–NBI special investigator Edgardo C. Kawada
