Cuevas out of Cabinet : Tuquero of appeals court is new justicechief

The third domino is down.

President Estrada sacked Justice Secretary Serafin Cuevas yesterday, triggering speculations that it was because of the official's handling of several controversial cases, the latest of which involved pardoned priest-killer Norberto Manero Jr.

"I have today accepted the resignation of Secretary of Justice Serafin Cuevas and have appointed in his place Court of Appeals (CA) Justice Artemio Tuquero," the President said in a statement read by Presidential Spokesman Fernando Barican at Malacañang.

"I am confident that Justice Tuquero will fulfill these tasks I have assigned him," Mr. Estrada said.

Cuevas and Tuquero are both members of the Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC) sect. Tuquero served as chief state prosecutor, then justice undersecretary before being appointed to the CA in 1996.

"Justice Tuquero will assume office at a time when some of our concerns are the consistent and successful prosecution of criminal syndicates, the streamlining of our system of dispensing justice and ensuring that justice is accessible to the poorest and least privileged in our society," Mr. Estrada said.

The Chief Executive thanked Cuevas for his "many years of selfless service to the nation."

"I wish him well as he ends this part of his career and begins another," the President said of Cuevas, one of the original members of the Estrada Cabinet.

Cuevas, a former Supreme Court associate justice, became the third man in the President's official family to be replaced since January, when he began a Cabinet reshuffle in a bid to boost his plummeting popularity ratings.

Last month, the President replaced Edgardo Espiritu as finance secretary and controversial Ronaldo Puno as interior and local government secretary. Former Trade Secretary Jose Pardo is now finance chief while former Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim is now interior secretary.

The President had asked all his Cabinet members and advisers to hand in their courtesy resignations by Jan. 15 to give him a free hand in carrying out the revamp.

Political analysts have said Mr. Estrada was dissatisfied with Cuevas' effort to go after corporate tax evaders and his acting posthaste on a request by the US government to extradite presidential friend Mark Jimenez, who is wanted by Washington for wire fraud and alleged illegal campaign contributions to President Bill Clinton.

The recent pardon of Manero was also partly to be blamed on Cuevas, since the Bureau of Pardons and Parole is under the justice department.

According to Barican, Mr. Estrada informed Cuevas that his resignation has been accepted only by telephone.

He said the most senior of the justice undersecretaries will temporarily take over Cuevas' post until the 67-year-old Tuquero can take his oath of office after the President returns early next week from a three-day trip to Bangkok, Thailand.

Barican, however, denied that the President's decision had anything to do with the controversies that hounded the justice department.

"The President looks at the totality of the situation and felt that he wanted to accept Cuevas resignation," Barican told reporters when asked why Cuevas had been replaced.

He added the decision was based on the courtesy resignation Cuevas submitted last December, along with other Cabinet officials and advisers, to give the President a free hand in implementing a top-to-bottom revamp.

"The President wanted to make a change," Barican said. "It's just a courtesy resignation submitted to the President last December, but it's an open-ended resignation. The President can accept resignations at any period."

But justice department sources said they believe Cuevas was sacked for failing to scrutinize a list of 500 convicts who were granted the traditional Christmas pardon last year, which included Manero, in a case that triggered much outrage from the public and the Catholic Church.

Other sources said Cuevas could have been removed due to his "independence," as he often took positions on several issues that were contrary to that of Mr. Estrada's.

Last year, Cuevas was reportedly scolded by Mr. Estrada for calling for sanctions on convicted child rapist Zamboanga del Norte Rep. Romeo Jalosjos, a close friend of the President, for enjoying luxurious amenities at the New Bilibid Prisons in Muntinlupa City.

He was also reportedly reprimanded by the President for declaring that Jimenez can be immediately extradited to the US. Malacañang had declared it will leave it up to the Supreme Court to decide on the case. - With Delon Porcalla