MANILA -- Amid the controversy hounding the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) over the early release of prisoners convicted of heinous crimes, several senators said on Wednesday BuCor chief Nicanor Faeldon should either resign from his post or take a leave of absence to allow the office of the President to conduct an impartial investigation.
In an ambush interview, Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri pointed out that “controversy abounds” wherever Faeldon “stays, which position he takes.”
“Prudence dictates that maybe he should, at the very least, offer a leave of absence to the President, to allow the President to conduct the investigation that he wants,” he said.
The Senate majority leader pointed out that Faeldon should seriously consider taking a leave of absence, or just resigning, to save the Duterte administration from further embarrassment.
“The cornerstone of the administration of the President is the fight against criminality. And to allow 8oo convicts who committed heinous crimes, it’s a slap to the President’s anti-criminality campaign,” he said.
Data from BuCor shows that a total of 1,914 prisoners convicted of heinous crimes have been granted early release since 2014 because of the Good Conduct Time Allowance (GCTA) Law.
Almost half of the inmates released, or 816 convicts, were released during the tenure of Faeldon, who was appointed the agency's head in October 2018.
"At the very least magawa nya out of delicadeza: mag file muna siya ng leave of absence kung ayaw nya munang mag-resign (At the very least, he should do it out of delicadeza: he should file a leave of absence if he does not yet want to resign). But the call remains with the President,” Zubiri said.
Senator Angara echoed Zubiri’s sentiments, saying it would be best for Faeldon to either take a leave of absence or just immediately resign.
“Kung ayaw nyang mag-resign, at least mag-leave sya (If he does not want to resign, at least, he should take a leave) to give way to an impartial investigation,” Angara said in a separate interview.
The lawmaker said these are the only courses of action that the BuCor chief can take considering the various controversies under his watch, which included the near release of former Calauan, Laguna Mayor Antonio Sanchez who was convicted in the 1993 rape-slay of University of the Philippines Los Baños student Eileen Sarmenta and the torture-killing of her companion Allan Gomez.
Earlier, Faeldon admitted before the Senate that he signed in August a memorandum recommending releasing Sanchez but he stopped the process "because I believe he is not entitled."
In the same month, the BuCor chief also signed release orders for three men convicted in the 1990s rape-slay of Marijoy and Jacqueline Chiong.
“Umuusok na talaga yung ahensya nya, parang nasusunog na, tapos sinasabi pa rin na walang nangyayaring masama (His agency is already in smokes, maybe already on fire, yet he still maintains that nothing wrong is happening),” Angara said.
“There certainly are lapses. It is up to the President, but his (Faeldon’s) credibility ay medyo nawawala (has diminished a bit),” he added.
Meanwhile, Senator Joel Villanueva said Faeldon should resign outright.
“He should have the guts to resign, huwag na nating pahirapan ang Presidente (we must not torment further our President),” Villanueva said in another interview, stressing that controversy hounds Faeldon wherever he is assigned.
“I call on him to just resign,” he added.
The lawmaker also urged President Duterte to refrain from assigning Faeldon to another post.
“I think we have given him more than enough time and opportunity to prove himself. He failed verily,” Villanueva said.
Senator Francis Pangilinan also did not mince words when asked about Faeldon.
“He should resign,” he tersely said.
“Naniniwala ako na nagkaroon ng kapalpkan sa proseso na ito, na hindi tama. Ang daming hindi tamang kilos. ‘Yung mg ganitong kilos, hindi na dapat hinahayaan na palampasin (I believe that there were lapses committed in the process. There are many wrong actions. These kinds of actions should not let to pass),” Pangilinan said. (PNA)
