Press Release
August 24, 2017

Drilon calls for full-blown investigation into Lacson's revelation

Senate Minority Leader Franklin M. Drilon said that the explosive revelation of Senator Panfilo Lacson about the corrupt practices in the Bureau of Customs (BoC) warrants a full-blown investigation, as he urged resigned Commissioner Nicanor Faeldon to come forward to reveal the truth.

"Now is the time for former Comm. Faeldon to speak up. It is time to spill the beans," Drilon said in a statement on Thursday.

"The people behind this massive corruption in the customs have already been exposed. Commissioner Faeldon is the most qualified person to corroborate these claims of corruption under his watch," Drilon stressed.

The senator said he was shocked upon hearing his fellow senator's revelation but said "it should give the Congress more resolve to address the top-down corruption in the agency."

"It's a shocking, disheartening revelation, but it behooves Congress to act swiftly to solve this issue of corruption in the bureau once and for all," Drilon said.

At the same time, the former justice secretary urged Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre to consider placing Faeldon under the DoJ's witness protection program (WPP).

"Should Faeldon decide to cooperate by revealing what he knew of this massive corruption in the customs, it is proper that he be placed under the WPP," Drilon said.

Drilon also called on the department to review the testimonies made at the Senate Blue Ribbon's investigation into the P640-billion shabu shipment from China, as well as he revelations made by Lacson.

"The DoJ should seriously consider the revelations made by Lacson and start its own investigation into the matter," he concluded.

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