Ethics panel won’t act on Faeldon’s complaint vs. Lacson yet

Members of the Senate ethics committee on Monday decided to “hold in abeyance” the ethics complaint filed by former Customs Commissioner Nicanor Faeldon against Senator Panfilo Lacson.

Minority Leader Franklin Drilon, a member of the panel, said Faeldon came to the committee with “unclean hands” as he disregarded the processes of the Senate when he refused to testify in the blue ribbon committee’s investigation on the P6.4-billion shabu shipment.

“To me, he has no right to come to the committee and ask for a remedy against [our] colleague when he himself does not recognize the process,” Drilon said.

Senators Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino IV and Risa Hontiveros echoed the sentiment of Drilon.

“Mahirap i-determine 'yung complaint kung hindi siya haharap, even if we have all said na hindi siya babastusin,” Aquino said.

“He is seeking a finding of unethical behavior from us against a colleague pero 'yung pinakita niyang ugali hindi tumatapat. Hindi siya nagpapakita ng respeto sa Senado tulad ng hinihingi niya sa 'tin,” Hontiveros said.

Drilon’s motion to hold Faeldon’s complant in abeyance and to further study the proposal of Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III to dismiss the complaint was approved by members of the committee.

Sotto, chairman of the committee, believes Lacson did not violate his parliamentary immunity when he accused Faeldon of receiving “tara” or bribes during a privilege speech he delivered last month.

“Did Senator Lacson abuse his privilege when he disclosed anomalies in the Bureau of Customs?...The way I look at it, the answer is no,” Sotto said.

Last week, Faeldon filed an ethics complaint against Lacson for allegedly violating his constitutional right to be presumed innocent, and abusing parliamentary immunity and committing serious misconduct. Faeldon said Lacson is "clearly guilty" of character assassination.

Faeldon is detained indefinitely at the Office of the Senate Sergeant-At-Arms as he continuously refuses to appear before the blue ribbon committee probe.

In a brief interview after he filed a separate ethics complaint against Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, Faeldon reiterated that he never received tara during his stint at the BOC.

“I never denied that there is tara. I believe there is; but saying that I’m part of it, that’s really bullsh*t,” Faeldon said as he dared Lacson to come out with evidence that will prove his “lies.”

Responding to Faeldon’s statement, Lacson said: “Bullsh*t din siya. Siya nga 'yung nasa center ng tara eh.”

Lacson is set to file graft and economic sabotage charges against Faeldon before the Ombudsman on Thursday for allegedly ordering the release of smuggled rice. —KG, GMA News