MANILA—Opposition senator Risa Hontiveros scoffed at President Rodrigo Duterte's description of former Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) chief Nicanor Faeldon as "an upright man," whom the President just sacked last Wednesday.

"‪Kung upright ’yan, di mo ’yan sinibak sa pwesto. Upright ba ang nagpakawala ng mga Chinese druglords at muntik na ng isang unrepentant rapist-murderer?" Hontiveros said in a Facebook post Saturday.

(If he was upright, you shouldn't have fired him. Is he upright when freed Chinese druglords and nearly release an unrepentant rapist-murdered?)

"Get a dictionary and look up what upright means.‬"

Two days after he fired Faeldon, Duterte said he still trusted the former BuCor head despite the controversy.

• 'Mabuting tao yan': Duterte says he still believes in Faeldon

Faeldon was fired for approving the release of several heinous-crime convicts under the controversial good conduct time allowance law, which makes inmates eligible for early release depending on their behavior inside prison.

• Duterte fires BuCor chief Faeldon

Faeldon was also reported to have approved the release of notorious rapist-killer Antonio Sanchez, who was nearly freed had it not been for public outcry.