FORMER Customs commissioner Nicanor Faeldon will not be compensated as deputy administrator of the Office of Civil Defense because of his inability to perform his job, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said Wednesday.
He cited the government policy of no work, no pay as a result of Faeldon’s long absence as a result of his incarceration.
He was named deputy administrator of the Office of Civil Defense in December last year with a monthly salary of P129,000.
“Since he is in detention in the Pasay City Jail, he will not be entitled to any salary because of the principle of no, work no pay,” Lorenzana said.
Faeldon was transferred to the Pasay City Jail by the Blue Ribbon Committee led by Senator Richard Gordon. This was after he was cited for contempt during the marathon hearing on the P6-billion shabu from China that was sent to Customs in July last year.
Lorenzana made his statement even as Faeldon’s lawyer said he was positive his client would soon be freed from detention.
“I am very hopeful. I am fully confident,” Jose Diño told CNN Philippines.
“A good lawyer can spot a winning case. I smell a winning case.”
Diño said he had filed a petition before the Supreme Court seeking to declare as illegal the Senate blue ribbon committee’s order to detain Faeldon.
“Any lawyer will not file a petition if he does not have any reasonable expectation that he will win. Otherwise, he is liable to the Supreme Court for filing a frivolous complaint,” Diño said.
Lorenzana said Faeldon’s transfer to the Pasay City Jail was unexpected but predicted his eventual freedom to perform his job at the OCD.
“His incarceration at Pasay Jail was totally unexpected. I was hoping he would be set free sooner so he could start performing his job,” Lorenzana said.