Duterte to chief justice: I was just doing my duty

MANILA, Philippines -- I am just performing my duty to the people.

 

This was President Duterte’s reaction to Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno’s statement that his announcement of the names of officials allegedly involved in illegal drugs was premature.

 

“Ma’am it’s like this: My words (are) not accusatorial. It is not a criminal information. It is just my word against the others because I have a duty to tell the public so they will know about the dangers lurking in the country and those who made the (narcotics) industry huge,” the president said in a press briefing in Davao City on Tuesday morning.

 

Duterte also believes that security officials would not provide intelligence information without validating them.

 

“The military and the police do not just relay information that would be damaging to a person. There is nothing personal there. You (people in the list) do not have any business with them and they do not owe anything to you,” he added.

 

On Sunday, Duterte linked a total of 158 incumbent and former local executives, lawmakers, uniformed personnel and judges to the narcotics trade and gave them 24 hours to surrender or they would be tracked down by security forces.

 

At least seven members of the judiciary were tagged in the illegal drugs trade namely Judge Mupas of Dasmarinas Cavite, Judge Reyes of Baguio City, Judge Sabilo of Regional Trial Court Branch 13 in  Iloilo City, Judge Casiple of Kalibo, Aklan, Judge Rene Gonzales, Judge Exekiel Dagala and Judge Roberto Navidad of the Calbayog City regional trial court.

 

Sereno confirmed that Navidad was killed in 2008 at the age of 69.

 

She cautioned judges against surrendering or making themselves accountable to any police officer without any duly issued arrest warrant. A “premature” announcement would also have an impact on the judges’ safety and the performance of duties, the chief justice added.

 

“As the sole entity charged with the discipline of judges, the Supreme Court decides when judges are excused from bench duty and report to it,” Sereno said in a letter addressed to Duterte.

 

“It would matter greatly to our sense of constitutional order, if we were given the chance to administer the appropriate preventive measures without the complications of a premature public announcement,” she added.

 

Reacting to the inclusion of a dead man in the list of 'narco officials', Duterte said the intelligence community was not provided with information about the deaths of people.

 

“As early as five years ago, the names are already there. Others are already dead,” the chief executive said.

 

“Death is a private affair to the family. It is not announced to the world except through the obituary.”

 

The Palace  remains convinced that the list provided to Duterte was credible.

 

“I would say its credible. On the other, hand if there are mistakes, it’s the onus now is upon the individual to express and to clarify his actual situation,” Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella said.

Abella said Duterte was not intervening in judicial process when he named the officials allegedly involved in narcotics. He said the president is merely warning the public about the dangers of illegal drugs.

 

“He (Duterte) is taking the position of parens patriae as parent of the nation. He is calling attention to clear and present danger of drugs. It’s his moral obligation to make sure the public is properly warned of the drug menace,” Duterte’s spokesman said.

 

“This is not a judicial process its simply calling attention. It is in a sense taking the moral responsibility to be able to warn the people,” he added.

 

Asked if Duterte’s action can cause a constitutional crisis, Abella replied: “As I said earlier, his position as parent of the nation transcends this particular legality you are referring to. He is exercising his position as father to the nation and calling attention to what is extraordinary situation facing society. 

 

“In other words, it’s something equivalent to shouting 'fire, there is a fire in the house'. It is his moral duty to warn people there is a fire in the house,” he added.

 

When pressed why the government did not just file cases against officials allegedly involved in drugs, Abella said: “Simply because there is already the length and breadth of such magnitude. It needs extraordinary measures.”

 

Abella insisted that the officials included in the list are not being subjected to trial by publicity.

 

“I doubt if the president is prone to gimmicks. He is not that type of person,” he added.