House panel recommends filing charges vs Faeldon, other customs officials

August 25, 2017

The House committee on dangerous drugs on Thursday approved in principle its panel report on P6.4 billion shabu smuggling, recommending the filing of criminal or administrative complaints against former Customs Commissioner Nicanor Faeldon and other Bureau of Customs (BoC) officials who were allegedly involved in the “tara system” ( grease money) in the agency.

Barbers said the committee recommended the filing of a complaint against Faeldon for violation of Section 3 of the Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and investigation by the Office of the Ombudsman.

The committee also recommended the filing of a complaint by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) against Dennis Siyhian and  Catherine Nolasco, investigators of National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Anti-Organized Transnational Crime Division.

Siyhian and Nolasco failed to turn over the custody of the 500 kilos of shabu to the PDEA.

This was a violation of the Dangerous Drugs Board Regulation No. 1, Series of 2002, Custody and Disposition of Seized Dangerous Drugs, in relation to Section 32, RA 9165.

But Barbers said the final approval of the committee report would be made this Tuesday next week after some panel members asked to include some recommendations.

“After our meeting (Thursday), we approved the committee report on shabu smuggling in principle subject to some fine amendments. The final approval is scheduled on Tuesday next week,” Barbers said in an interview.

During the previous hearings, Barbers said the committee established there was “tara system” going on in the bureau.“I’m sure the members enjoin me in the conclusion that there is really a systemic, endemic or whatever epidemic that is going on in the bureau. And this is the reason why smuggling of goods, including shabu, was possible,” said Barbers in a press release issued by the office of Speaker Pantaleon  Alvarez.

Barbers cited Senator Panfilo Lacson’s privilege speech the other day which named BoC officials and personnel who were allegedly involved in the “tara system.” DMS