MANILA, Philippines — Denounced by both friends and enemies of the administration after his prosecutors cleared suspected drug lords, Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II may be on his way out – with the coming midterm elections likely to provide the door for a graceful exit.
This was revealed the other night to The STAR by President Duterte, who also admitted he is not satisfied with the performance of his Cabinet as his administration wraps up its second year in office.
“I’m not happy (with Cabinet performance), yes,” the President replied when asked for his thoughts on his official family.
“One of them better run (in the coming May 2019 elections). I said go ahead, buti nga para sya matalo (serves him right if he loses),” he told a group of 12 selected media personalities in a “meet the press” at Malacañang. He did not name the official. Aguirre is believed to be eyeing a Senate seat.
The former Davao City mayor described his campaign promises to fight corruption and drugs as being on track.
He conceded though some of his officials have failed to deliver on his campaign promises, citing his having fired several Cabinet-ranked officials and his own appointees, starting with former interior secretary Ismael Sueno, former urban poor presidential adviser Terry Ridon, among others.
Some of the dismissed officials had even campaigned for him in 2016.
“I have fired so many of my friends. I have been firing and hiring good ones to replace them,” he pointed out.
In the case of Aguirre, the President reiterated his extreme displeasure at the dismissal of criminal charges against the three accused drug lords by a panel of DOJ prosecutors.
Being a former prosecutor before he turned to politics, the President expressed irritation at the DOJ’s handling of illegal drug cases amid corruption issues in the country’s criminal justice system.
The DOJ dismissed last December the drug charges against Cebuano businessman Peter Lim and self-confessed drug trader Kerwin Espinosa and several others.
The resolution, which the media learned of only last Monday, sparked outrage among both political allies and foes of the administration.
“The President was clearly upset by the decision of the DOJ and he wants a full review,” Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar said at the same forum.
“Obviously, he wasn’t happy with the decision. It’s an expression of dissatisfaction so there is a need to review,” Andanar said when asked to comment on Duterte’s remarks to have Aguirre put behind bars if Espinosa and the others are released.
Not resigning
But even after reportedly irritating his boss, Aguirre has made it clear he has no plans of resigning.
The latest controversy came two years after the P50-million bribery scandal involving two Bureau of Immigration (BI) deputy commissioners and Chinese gaming tycoon Jack Lam. The DOJ has jurisdiction over the BI.
“Why should I resign? Did I do anything wrong?” he told The STAR yesterday.
The DOJ chief revealed that he had already discussed the latest controversy with Duterte.
“We in the Cabinet only serve at the pleasure of the President. I talked with the President about this (Peter Lim) case and we’re OK,” he said.
Aguirre also shrugged off the reported warning of Duterte that he would have the DOJ chief replace Espinosa and Lim in jail if the two are exonerated.
It was “part of his (President’s) character as those who know him would know,” Aguirre pointed out.
Aguirre, law school classmate and lawyer during the 2016 presidential election, said he believes he still enjoys the trust and confidence of the Chief Executive.
The STAR also learned from Palace sources that Aguirre and Duterte discussed the drug case over the phone Tuesday evening.
The DOJ chief had reportedly asked the President to accept his resignation if he was no longer considered fit for the job, but the latter told him to “stay put and do your job.”
Aguirre is reportedly among those being eyed by the ruling PDP-Laban for inclusion in its senatorial slate in the midterm elections next year.
The DOJ chief again distanced himself from the dismissal of the charges against Lim and Espinosa, saying his office “has no hand nor say” on the resolution prepared by an investigating panel of prosecutors.
Under DOJ procedures, the secretary of justice only decides on criminal charges once the cases are elevated to his office via petition for review or automatic review in cases of dismissed drug charges.
Outrage
Pro-administration lawmakers have joined their leftist counterparts in urging President Duterte to fire Aguirre.
They said the President and his justice secretary are ultimately responsible for the drug dealers’ exoneration.
“At the minimum, the exoneration of the drug lords shows the justice secretary’s incompetence. At the maximum, this is malfeasance and protection of drug dealers,” Rep. Antonio Tinio of Alliance of Concerned Teachers told a news conference.
He said Duterte has to let go of Aguirre or the President would be suspected of coddling drug lords.
“If he does not sack his justice secretary, all his supposed anger over DOJ’s clearing of drug personalities is just for show,” he said.
Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Zarate said the President and his DOJ chief could not wash their hands of the drug lords’ exoneration.
“Drug lords are being absolved, while the poor get killed by the thousands in the Duterte administration’s fake war against illegal drugs. The President has to answer for this,” he said.
He said drug lords feel they are untouchable because many of them had testified against detained senator and Duterte critic Leila de Lima. – Christina Mendez, Jess Diaz