Faeldon’s son, 3 others nabbed in anti-drug operation
By Martin Sadongdong
Four men, including the son of Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) chief, Director General Nicanor Faeldon, were arrested by joint police and military forces in a suspected drug den in Naga City Friday morning.
(photo courtesy of PNP / MANILA BULLETIN)
Senior Superintendent Felix Servita, chief of Naga City Police Office, identified the suspects as Nicanor Faeldon Jr., 32, of Taytay, Rizal; Russel Lanuzo alias Bubbles, 47, the subject of the operation; Allan Valdez, 44; and Manuel Nebres, 39.
Elements of Naga City Police Drug Enforcement Unit, Regional Police Drug Enforcement Unit, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and Philippine Army implemented a search warrant against Lanuzo’s house on San Miguel St., Brgy. Mabolo, Naga City around 5 a.m.
The search warrant was issued by Vice Executive Judge Timoteo Panga Jr. of the Regional Trial Court Branch 60 in Iriga, Camarines Sur for violation of Section 11 (possession of dangerous drugs) of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
Accordingly, Servita said they received an intelligence information that Lanuzo has been maintaining an alleged drug den in his house.
Police found seven heat-sealed plastic sachets containing suspected methamphetamine hydrochlorine or shabu when they searched the Lanuzo’s house.
However, Faeldon Jr. said he has no knowledge of any illegal drug activities in the area. He told police that he is only living in Lanuzo’s house with his girlfriend since they are both studying in Naga City.
For his part, Servita said Faeldon Jr. and the three others were still subjected to a drug test.
Although the suspects were not caught in the act of using illegal drugs, Servita noted that the BuCor chief’s son could still be charged for violating Section 7 (Visiting a drug den) of RA 9165.
If proven guilty, Faeldon Jr. could be slapped with imprisonment ranging from 12 years and one day to 20 years and a fine ranging from P100,000 to P500,000.
The suspects were brought to Naga City Police Office detention cell.
Faeldon’s legal counsel and spokesperson, Jose Dino Jr., said the BuCor chief lauded the police in their relentless anti-illegal drug operations and vowed not to tolerate this wrongdoing even if it was committed by his son.
“Alam niyo po, isa sa mga centerpiece programs ng Duterte administration ay anti-criminality at anti-drug abuse kaya lahat ng effort ng kapulisan, PDEA, NBI ay sinusuportahan po niya kahit masangkot ang sinuman, anak man o kapatid,” Dino said.
(You know, one of the centerpiece programs of the Duterte administration is anti-criminality and anti-drug abuse so all the efforts of the police, PDEA and National Bureau of Investigation are being supported by him even if the ones involved are his children or siblings.)
He said Faeldon will respect the result of the investigation.
As of writing, Faeldon Jr. said he has yet to talk to his father about the incident. The elder Faeldon was embroiled in a huge controversy following the discovery of P6.4 billion worth of illegal drugs in a warehouse in Valenzuela City on May 26, 2017 which slipped past the Bureau of Customs when he was still the agency’s chief.
He was later appointed by President Duterte as deputy administrator for operations of the Office of the Civil Defense (OCD) on December 22, 2017 and BuCor chief on November 20, 2018.