Duterte defends Lapeña, Faeldon: They were just outplayed
MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte on Saturday defended former Customs commissioner Isidro Lapeña and his predecessor Nicanor Faeldon who were tagged into separate multi-billion peso drug smuggling cases involving the Bureau of Customs.
“Mind you, ito si Sid Lapeña sa Customs, including Faeldon who was his predecessor, puro military ‘to, nalusutan talaga sila (they are military, they were just outplayed),” Duterte said in during his speech at the 39th Masskara Festival in Bacolod City on Saturday.
Duterte was referring to the billions worth of methamphetamine hydrochloride (shabu) that entered the country past Customs inspectors.
The president furthered that both former Custom chiefs were not involved in corruption.
He cited that Faeldon was the one who gave him the tip there is a cigarette manufacturer who was producing fake stamps, referring to Mighty King.
“Galing ‘yun kay Faeldon… Kaya maniwala na si Faeldon corrupt eh bakit --- bakit ba niya sinumbong? ‘Di sinolo na lang sana niya. And so with Lapeña because he was my police chief for the longest time. Nalusutan lang talaga,” Duterte reiterated.
Both Faeldon and Lapeña were designated to different government posts after being involved in drug smuggling cases.
In August 2017, Faeldon resigned after he was linked in the entry of P6.4 billion in shabu that was later seized in a warehouse in Valenzuela City. He was appointed to the Office of Civil Defense in December last year and was recently named Bureau of Corrections chief to replace former Philippine National Police head Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa.
READ: Duterte 'promotes' Lapeña to TESDA; ex-AFP chief Guerrero to head Customs
Lapeña did not resign from his post but he was assigned to head the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority after he admitted that the magnetic lifters seized by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in August may have contained at least P6.8 billion worth in shabu.
According to PDEA, the shabu in the lifters could amount into P11 billion.
Lapeña’s reassignment to TESDA was questioned by senators who doubted the former’s expertise in his new department.
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