Duterte exonerates fired prisons chief, as Senate hearing into release of drug offenders continues
- Despite firing prisons bureau chief Nicanor Faeldon last week, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte says he is an ‘upright man’
- Meanwhile a senate hearing has heard details of moneymaking scams involving prison officials, inmates and a senator
Duterte last week wielded the axe on the former rebel and marine officer who became a staunch ally, after four Chinese drug traffickers, 44 others convicted of drug-related crimes, and three rapist-murderers were released over the space of nine months.
But two days later Duterte took the sting out of the sacking, saying: “Faeldon, he’s a straight edge. I still believe in him”.
The president indicated he would appoint him to another post of his own choosing, although on Tuesday Duterte said he might no longer give Faeldon a new post because “a private corporation has already accepted him”.
Duterte had initially appointed him customs commissioner, then deputy for operations for disaster relief. Faeldon has left all his three senior government posts under a cloud.
