Sen. Leila M. de Lima's Statement on Faeldon's revelations
Dispatch from Crame No. 141

What we heard from resigned Customs Commissioner Nicanor Faeldon yesterday about the involvement of the son of Senator Panfilo Lacson in smuggling at the Customs and the alleged attempted bribery are serious accusations.

These are as serious as Senator Lacson's accusations that Faeldon also belongs to the Customs officialdom who are beneficiaries of the Tara System that has plagued the agency for decades. The revelations of Faeldon must be thoroughly investigated in the same way that Senator Lacson's allegations against Faeldon should be the subject of an exhaustive probe.

I join Senator Drilon's call for Faeldon to tell all. Faeldon must also expose all other personalities involved in smuggling or other Customs-related anomalies, including Senators, Congressmen, and other public officials, specifically those belonging to the so-called Davao Group that facilitated the 6.4B-peso shabu shipment.

It is about time that the investigation on smuggling also includes the presidential son, Paolo Duterte. Faeldon has shown the way. If he does not really consider anybody a sacred cow, even a senator's son, he should not stop there. He should go all the way to the top even if it implicates the presidential son. This should be the true test of his credibility. Otherwise, his imputations about Senator Lacson's knowledge of his son's illegal activities will just appear to be a lame counter-attack that is as selective as it is spiteful.

I call on the Senate to direct Faeldon to spill the beans now that he has started to liberally accuse one of us. There should be no whitewash in this investigation. There should be no sacred cows. Let Panfilo Lacson Jr. and Paolo Duterte face the music at the Senate. Anything less will only prove that there is no justice an accountability in this country when it comes to the sons and relatives of the high and mighty.