By Jeffrey Damicog
President Rodrigo Duterte signed on Tuesday the appointment papers of former Customs Commissioner Nicanor Faeldon as the new Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) director general, said Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra.
Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra
(TOTO LOZANO/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN)
“Nicanor Faeldon’s appointment papers as director general of the BuCor have been signed by the President and ready for release by the Executive Secretary (Salvador Medialdea),” Guevarra told reporters Tuesday.
The secretary noted that Duterte signed the appointment papers on the occasion of the BuCor’s anniversary.
“Today is also the 113th anniversary of the BuCor,” he said.
Tuesday last week, Guevarra received a call from Civil Service Commission (CSC) Chairperson Alicia dela Rosa-Bala to inform him that Faeldon’s recommendation has been signed and sent to Malacañang.
The signing of the appointment papers comes over a month since Guevarra disclosed in public on Oct. 12 that the President has chosen Faeldon as BuCor chief.
Faeldon will replace retired Police National Police (PNP) chief Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa.
Dela Rosa resigned from his post as BuCor chief so that he can file his certificate of candidacy (COC) on Oct. 12 in seeking to run for the Senate in 2019.
Following Dela Rosa’s resignation, Guevarra appointed BuCor Deputy Director General Melvin Ramon Buenafe to take over as officer-in-charge of BuCor.
Prior the signing of the appointment papers, an issue arose over Faeldon’s absence at the BuCor even after being named by the President for the post.
In response to the issue at that time, lawyer Jose Diño Jr., spokesperson and legal counsel of Faeldon, issued a statement saying Malacañang “releases copies of officially signed appointments” but the Palace “has not confirmed the ‘news’ or ‘fake news’ being attributed to the DOJ secretary.”
“In all of my public positions, I have no record at all of being a ‘no-show,’ much less being a delinquent as I am now being unfairly labeled. In fact, one day after I was released by the Senate from the Pasay City Jail, I already assumed and began to discharge my duties as OCD deputy administrator and Assistant Secretary, since I was officially appointed to such position as early as December 2017. Wouldn’t I be the worst laughing stock public-office usurper if I assumed a position to which I was not to,” Faeldon also stated.
Feldon was removed from the Bureau of Customs (BOC) over the issue of the P6.4 -billion worth of illegal drugs which managed to slip past BOC in May 2017.
He was later appointed by Duterte as Office of Civil Defense deputy administrator but eventually resigned.