MANILA (UPDATE)—Hours after learning that President Rodrigo Duterte fired him, Bureau of Corrections chief Nicanor Faeldon said he was OK with the decision.

"I am a soldier. I do as I am told," Faeldon told ABS-CBN News' Henry Omaga-Diaz in a text message.

Later in a tweet, Faeldon added: "My commander-in-chief/appointing authority has spoken. I am a marine and a marine does as he is told. I most humbly bow to my commander-in-chief's order without any hard feelings,"

Duterte earlier demanded Faeldon's resignation after the corrections head approved the release of several heinous-crime convicts, under the good conduct time allowance (GCTA) law.

Duterte eventually clarified he was dismissing Faeldon.

In a response to a reporter's query on whether he was sacking the official, Duterte said: "Yes, now."

• Duterte fires BuCor chief Faeldon

Faeldon came under fire after news surfaced that his agency approved convicted rapist-killer Antonio Sanchez's release based on good conduct while in prison.

This was not the first of Faeldon's controversies. Also a former Customs chief, he was accused of letting some billions worth of shabu slip past port inspections in 2017.

— With reports from Arianne Merez, ABS-CBN News