Santiago on government stint: No regrets

MANILA, Philippines — Former Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) chairman Dionisio Santiago has no regrets about joining the government and said he remains a supporter of President Duterte and his programs against illegal drugs and other crimes.

Asked if he regretted being part of the Duterte administration, Santiago said he never felt that way and still has high regard for the President.

“It’s not simply because we are friends. It’s an advocacy. We want to preserve this country,” Santiago said.

He was just four months into his job as DDB chief when Duterte told him to resign over his comment that the construction of a mega-drug rehabilitation facility in Nueva Ecija was a mistake and the money should have been used to fund smaller community-based programs for drug dependents.

On Monday, presidential spokesman Harry Roque said Santiago was asked to resign over allegations he used taxpayers’ money for unnecessary foreign trips.

Roque presented to the media a letter allegedly from the DDB Employees’ Union that claimed Santiago was a recipient of a mansion in Ozamiz City given by the Parojinogs, a family with alleged ties to the illegal drug trade.

The DDB Employees’ Union, however, said the letter did not come from them.

Santiago has denied the allegations, saying his two foreign trips to the United States and Austria were authorized by Malacañang. He also denied having a mansion courtesy of the Parojinogs.

He said what the purported DDB union letter could be referring to was another former police general with the same surname. He declined to identify the person who reportedly had a relationship with Ozamiz Vice Mayor Nova Princess Parojinog.

In the future, Santiago hopes Roque and other officials would first validate information on allegations of irregularities against government workers before releasing such to the public.

“My request is to validate it first. We know how the President reacts against corruption, especially drugs,” said Santiago.

Asked if he harbored any resentment toward Duterte, Santiago said he is too old to bear grudges.

He added that the misunderstanding between them was mainly due to miscommunication.

“What’s important is I know that he is my friend,” Santiago said.

He promised to remain a Duterte supporter, especially when it comes to solving the country’s drug problem.

“The programs he is espousing are pro-people,” said Santiago. “We both wanted the same thing.”

Now on his “second” retirement, Santiago said he is again enjoying a stress-free life where he no longer needs to work until late in the evening.

Zero tolerance

Roque yesterday reminded government personnel about President Duterte’s zero tolerance for corruption as he drew flak for citing the fake complaint letter against former DDB chair Santiago.

Roque said a whiff of corruption is enough for the President to be suspicious of the conduct even of his closest allies. 

“The message to people in government is be careful because the President really has zero tolerance for corruption. Sometimes, mere talk of corruption is enough for the President to lose his trust and confidence,” Roque said in a press briefing. 

“I emphasize this because for ranking officials, there is no need to prove that they committed a wrongdoing because they serve at the pleasure of the President unless there is tenure,” he added. 

Roque issued the statement after he was asked about Monday’s briefing where he cited a complaint letter against Santiago that supposedly came from the DDB Employees’ Union.

DDB Employees Union president Joann Desiderio has disowned the letter and decried efforts to use her group to malign people.

Santiago has denied the allegations and has chided Roque for releasing unverified information. 

The allegations against Santiago came days after he was asked by Duterte to resign for saying that the mega rehabilitation center built in Nueva Ecija for 100,000 drug addicts was a mistake. 

Roque clarified that he never claimed the complaints against Santiago were true. 

“I’m sorry if there’s been any misunderstanding but I’ve reviewed the transcripts. I was very clear, if there are allegations in a complaint, we did not say they are the truth. The resignation of general Santiago was accepted because of what he said, that the mega rehab (center) was a mistake,” Roque said. 

“So even if this letter was anonymous, the President would still consider it and would still take steps to verify the truth of allegations. In fact, under the ombudsman law, the ombudsman itself is mandated to investigate even anonymous complaints,” he added. 

Roque said Santiago was asked to resign because of his remarks on the rehabilitation center and not because of the complaint letter. 

He claimed that the complaint letter was released to show that there are allegations against Santiago.

“And that is why I understand General Santiago was somehow hurt. But I emphasize, we have never alleged that they are gospel truth, they are allegations, which I’m sure he can easily dispute,” the presidential spokesman said. 

Roque’s latest remarks contradicted his statement last Monday, when he claimed that Santiago’s comment on the rehabilitation center was not the only reason he was asked to resign. 

“On another issue, I would like to confirm that General Santiago was let go by the President not only because of his statements on the mega rehab center being a mistake. He was also let go because of complaints that General Santiago was using taxpayers’ money for junkets abroad,” Roque told Palace reporters. 

When confronted by the media yesterday about the fake complaint letter, Roque clarified that he was not the one who made the accusations against Santiago. 

“Let me correct you. I did not make the allegation, it was the complaint. And I stand by the fact that the letter complaint exists and I stand by the fact that even under our Anti-Graft Law, the executive is duty bound to act even on anonymous complaints,” the spokesman said. 

“That’s the nature of the drive against graft and corruption.”

Roque admitted that the strict anti-corruption policy could be used to hurl baseless allegations at officials but is confident that the President would make sound decisions.  

“That’s a possibility. The President is not an ordinary person. He is a lawyer, he is a criminal lawyer and he knows the rules of evidence,” he said. 

Rep. Ron Salo of party-list group Kabayan yesterday urged his former House colleague Roque to resign.

Salo’s call stemmed from Roque’s disclosure of the supposed letter-complaint of the PDEA’s employees’ union against Santiago.

“Roque went public with a supposed letter from the PDEA Employees Union. But now the PDEA Employees Union through its president has categorically denied the letter besmirching former PDEA chief Dionisio Santiago. The union president even asserts that the letter is a fabrication,” he said.

“Just weeks in office, Roque has now brought dishonor to President Duterte and the position he now holds. He also dishonors the law profession. This new episode simply proves Kabayan party-list was right to expel him from the party,” he said.  – With Alexis Romero, Jess Diaz