MANILA - Since being fired, former Bureau of Corrections chief Nicanor Faeldon said he has "never been happier."

"I’ve never been happier than now. 'Pag nawalan ka ng yoke sa balikat mo (When you lose a yoke on your shoulder) you can soundly sleep," a smiling Faeldon told reporters before attending a Senate inquiry on Thursday afternoon.

President Rodrigo Duterte fired Faeldon Wednesday night, saying he had "disobeyed my order."

• Duterte fires BuCor chief Faeldon

He had quit the Bureau of Customs in 2017 amid corruption allegations after a multibillion-peso drug shipment slipped past port inspections. He then briefly served at the of Civil Defense before his appointment to the BuCor.

• Lacson says Faeldon took P100-M 'pasalubong' at Customs, names major 'tara' recipients
• Faeldon denies receving P100-M 'welcome pasalubong'

Faeldon skipped Thursday's continuation of a Senate hearing on the bureau's alleged questionable implementation of the good conduct time allowance (GCTA) law.

• Faeldon skips Senate inquiry after firing

The former BuCor chief came under fire after news surfaced that he approved convicted rapist-killer Antonio Sanchez's release based on good conduct while in prison. The release did not push through amid public uproar and the opposition of the President.

Faeldon said he merely followed the bureau's practice of implementing the GCTA law, but several senators cited irregularities in the law’s application as more than 2,000 heinous crime convicts were also freed.

• BuCor submits to Senate list of heinous crime convicts freed under GCTA law