Duterte retains Faeldon despite alleged corruption due to entry of P6.4B shabu from China

August 1, 2017

President Rodrigo Duterte has reaffirmed his confidence with Bureau of  Customs Commissioner Nicanor Faeldon amid corruption allegation in the agency due to the shipment of P6.4-billion worth of illegal drugs from China. Duterte met with Faeldon in Malacanang Tuesday afternoon. "The Chief Executive has expressed his full confidence in Commissioner Faeldon and told him to focus on serving the country," said Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III, who was also present in the meeting. Both the Senate and the House of Representatives have been conducting separate inquiries into the discovery of   600 kilograms of shabu or metamphetamine hydrochloride in two warehouses in Valenzuela City on May 26. The shipment arrived on May 17. BOC personnel failed to intercept the bags of shabu, hidden in the cylinders and were declared by the importer as kitchenwares. The illegal drugs were discovered when the BOC and the National Bureau of Investigation on May 26. Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, chairman of the House committee on dangerous drugs, demanded that Faeldon resign in hearing earlier in the day before the customs chief said he had to leave as he received word he had to see Duterte at the Palace. Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez said he supports Barbers’ call for Faeldon to resign. Meanwhile, Duterte also met with Bureau of Internal Revenue Commissioner Caesar Dulay in Malacanang and ordered him "to accelerate tax collections to cover unexpected expenses due to natural disasters and the Marawi rebellion," Dominguez said. The BOC and BIR are under the Department of Finance's watch. (Celerina Monte/DMS)