Batangas 2nd District Rep. Jinky Luistro and Ex-Customs Commissioner Nicanor Faeldon   

MANILA, Philippines – After consistent grilling from Batangas 2nd District Representative Jinky Luistro, former Bureau of Customs (BoC) Commissioner Nicanor Faeldon finally conceded  that the P6.4 billion shipment of shabu in 2017 has indeed slipped past authorities. 

At the 14th Public House Quad Committee Hearing on the drug war on Tuesday (January 21), Faeldon initially said he believes he should not be faulted for the slip of the massive shabu shipment. 

Luistro first sought to establish from Faeldon that importation rules, regulations and requirements requisite for securing accreditation would render any entity incapable of hiding basic and vital identity information from the BoC. This was affirmed by Faeldon. 

After confirming that the BoC is in possession of all importers’ information and is capable of flagging erring importers, Luistro then asked Faeldon who slipped Shipment No. MCLU 600 1881 or the P6.4 billion through the BoC that got “fixer” Mark Taguba sentenced to jail for 40 years by a Manila court. 

“Hindi ko na po matandaan kung sino ang importer niyan,” Faeldon answered. 

Luistro reminded Faeldon of his earlier statement that no one can import without an importer’s accreditation from the BoC. She also added that a controversy as big as the P6.4 billion smuggled shabu issue isn’t something that the former commissioner can just forget since it shook the BoC and his leadership. 

 “This is something na hindi mo dapat nakakalimutan, sino po ang importer nito,” Luistro said. 

‘Nalusutan’ 

Luistro invited Faeldon to agree with the idea that possibly, the big time smugglers behind the shabu shipping clearly operated under his nose. 

“Would you agree with me if I would say that, as head of the BoC, nalusutan ka ng P6.4 billion na shabu, nakapasok sa bansa that is equivalent to P604 kilos. Di’ba the first question that will pop up in your mind, sino ang nagpasok nito?” Lusitro asked. 

Faeldon initially disagreed. His explanation was how they apprehended the contraband which he said took him and the BoC only four hours to locate. 

“This importation ma’am, the existence of a possible shabu that came into the country was relayed to us by Chinese Customs,” he said.  

“I received the information [round] 10 o’clock in the evening. By 2 am, the following day, that’s just 4 hours, nahanap na po namin kung nasaan siya so that’s why I beg to disagree that nakalusot po sa amin,” he said.  

“Hinanap ko po ma’am eh, because I was given the information, possible shipment of shabu na galing sa China and the information was given to us so I gave instruction to the intelligence division, I gave them the information and they looked for it,” he said. 

“So that is how this shabu came in,” he said. 

Luistro then clarified that her use of the term “nalusutan” did not only mean confiscating the drugs but also arresting those behind the shipment. 

“When this representation made use of the term nalusutan, nahuli niyo ‘yung shabu pero hindi niyo nahuli ‘yung importer and today I am asking you sino ang importer,” Luistro said.  

“For me, Commissioner Faeldon, it is not enough that you apprehended the shabu, you should have arrested the people responsible for the shipment of shabu as well. Kung parehas niyo pong nahuli, ‘yung shabu at ‘yung tao, you might be correct, hindi po kayo nalusutan,” she said.  

“Pero nahuli niyo ‘yung shabu, hindi niyo nahuli ‘yung tao, I hope with all due respect, you will understand why I used the terminology nalusulatan and BoC,” she said. 

Faeldon finally agreed by saying “Yes, your honor.”