The chairman of the House Committee on Dangerous Drugs on Tuesday called for the resignation of Bureau of Customs (BOC) officials led by Commissioner Nicanor E. Faeldon, following the entry of P6.4 billion worth of illegal drugs. This was immediately seconded by House Speaker Pantaleon D. Alvarez.
House Dangerous Drugs Committee Chairman Rep. Robert Ace S. Barbers of Surigao del Norte made the call, as Rep. Wes Gatchalian of the First District of Valenzuela City disclosed that another cargo of illegal methamphetamine hydrochloride, or shabu, is missing in Valenzuela City.
In the continuing congressional investigation on the entry into the country of illegal drugs from China, Gatchalian said there was a second raid that happened four days after the discovery of P6.4 billion worth of shabu in two warehouses in Valenzuela City on May 26.
The BOC confiscated 604 kilograms of shabu packed into plastic bags and hidden in five metal insulators used for printing presses in Valenzuela City upon the tip of the General Administration of China Customs.
“Residents of Valenzuela City are worried that the missing shabu shipment would end up in their neighborhood,” Gatchalian said, referring to the alleged second shipment that was searched by BOC operatives allegedly without the knowledge of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).
Gatchalian said four days after the discovery of the first shipment, BOC operatives returned to F. Bautista Street in Barangay Ugong to look for additional contraband.
“On May 30 the BOC operatives were looking for additional shabu shipment based on the letter of authority issued by BOC chief to do the second raid. Unfortunately, they were not able to produce the said contraband,” the solon said.
Gatchalian added barangays of Paso de Blas and Ugong are industrial areas near North Luzon Expressway, which could have been used by illegal drug smugglers to transport the contraband to other parts of Luzon.
Gatchalian earlier filed House Resolution 1057, calling for a congressional inquiry into the BOC’s express-lane system that allowed the entry of the contraband.
Gatchalian said it is alarming that the BOC allowed the subject cargo to pass through the “green lane”, notwithstanding the fact that compared to other cargoes carrying the same declared contents, the subject cargo weighed nearly twice the normal weight.
“We also call on the authorities not to rest until they find the second contraband which could end up in the street and exacerbate the illegal-drug problem in the country,” Gatchalian said. “This is also an opportunity for the lawmakers to review our laws to fill in the gaps so that once and for all we are able to have a truly comprehensive answer to the drug problem in the country.”
During the congressional investigation on the shabu shipment, Barbers said Faeldon should follow the “delicadeza” practiced in many countries, wherein officials involved in public scandals, corruption and controversies immediately resign from their positions.
“In other countries, these incidents would have all the officials resigning for delicadeza’s sake. But hey, only [in] the Philippines, as they say, our Customs officials are quick to pin the blame on another unqualified official under their command and handpicked by them whose fault is that he wears a different uniform,” Barbers said.
“These developments show that they are not fit for the job. Yet, they have the balls to tell the Speaker [Alvarez] that the longtime employee whom he endorsed for promotion is not qualified. Look who’s talking,” he said, referring to the endorsement of Alvarez to promote a BOC official.
But Faeldon said only President Duterte can fire him. “I am a soldier. I do not treat this position as a job; it is a mission. And a soldier does not quit from his mission, but a soldier can be fired. So let the President fire me.”
Meanwhile, Alvarez, in interview, backed the calls for Faeldon’s resignation. He also described the Customs chief as “grossly incompetent”.
“Well, I support the call of resignation that Chairman Ace Barbers is pushing for because, if I were in his place, I would definitely resign if there’s still a semblance of shame in me,” Alvarez said.