The son of Bureau of Corrections chief Director General Nicanor Faeldon tested negative for illegal drugs but the three other men who were arrested along with him in a suspected drug den in Naga City failed the drug test, a record released by the Philippine National Police said Saturday.
Nicanor Faeldon Jr.’s urine sample tested negative both for the presence of shabu and Tetrahydrocannabinol or cannabis metabolites which are both considered as dangerous drugs, according to an initial laboratory report from the Camarines Sur Provincial Crime Laboratory Office.
The laboratory results also showed that the urine samples of Russel Lanuzo, 47; Allan Valdez, 44; and Manuel Niebres, 39, tested positive for the presence of shabu but negative for Tetrahydrocannabinol metabolites.
The result was signed by Senior Insp. Vina Zarina Zaldua-Cunom, a forensic chemist who examined the suspects’ specimen.
According to Zaldua-Cunom, Faeldon will no longer be subjected to confirmatory tests unlike the three other suspects.
Senior Supt. Felix Servita Jr., chief of the Naga police, said the results of the drug test were legitimate, adding that “no element tried to influence” its outcome.
However, the 32-year-old Faledon Jr. is not yet off the hook as Servita said he is still facing charges for violation of Section 7 (visiting a drug den) of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
Servita said Faeldon Jr. would still remain in their detention facility.
Additional charges for illegal drug use are expected to be filed against Lanuzo, Valdez, and Niebres, Servita said.
Faeldon Jr. has yet to issue a statement on the matter as of this writing.
His father welcomed the result and asked the public not to immediately judge his son.
This was a total opposite of his initial outburst he had upon learning the arrest of his son, saying he would personally “hunt him down” and “kill” him if proven that he’s a user.
However, the BuCor chief said he wants his son to experience jail time to contemplate about his life.
“I don’t want him out of the jail, diyan muna siya kasi marami siyang matututunan dyan,” Faeldon Sr. said in a radio interview.
He maintained that he has no hand in the results of the drug test.
“Makakatulog ako ng mahimbing kasi ang sandalan ko ay ang katotohanan,” Faeldon Sr. added.
He also earlier offered to file a leave of absence amid the controversy but noted it will no longer push through. (Martin A. Sadongdong)