Palace orders DOJ, PDEA anew: Stop bickering

MANILA, Philippines –Malacañang on Thursday again called on the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) officials to stop trading barbs over the “Alabang Boys" controversy. In a radio interview, Press Secretary Jesus Dureza reminded the two agencies of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's order for the two agencies to end their word war and instead focus on winning the war against illegal drugs. “Dapat tumalima na sila dahil meron nang order ang Pangulo and that they should start working together and address the [drug] menace together. They should resolve that as quickly as possible dahil malaki yung trabaho dito sa pakikipaglaban sa droga," Dureza said. [“They should comply with President’s order and that they should start working together and address the drug menace together. They should resolve that as quickly as possible because the fight against drugs is a serious one."] Dureza’s statement came after Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez said the appointment of Major Ferdinand Marcelino to the PDEA is unconstitutional, and his anti-drug operations could be invalidated. Marcelino, chief of PDEA's Special Enforcement Service, led the team that arrested the “Alabang Boys" – Richard Brodett, Joseph Tecson, and Jorge Joseph – last Sept. 20 following separate buy-bust operations. Citing Section 5, Article XVI of the 1987 Constitution, Gonzalez said active military officers are barred from holding civilian positions in the government. In a separate radio interview, PDEA Director General Dionisio Santiago lashed back at Gonzalez, and even challenged him to file a complaint against the PDEA. In the radio interview, Dureza said Gonzalez and Santiago should iron out their differences that could be hampering the fight against drugs. “They [Gonzalez and Santiago] should work it out dahil yung conflicting positions nila, that’s what makes all these efforts to fight the menace suffer from all these differences of interpretation. Ang sabi ng Pangulo, get their acts together and work together," Dureza said. [“They should work it out because their conflicting positions and differences of interpretation make the fight against the menace suffer. The President had ordered them to get their acts together and work together."] For his part, Senior Deputy Minority Leader and Parañaque City Rep. Roilo Golez said Gonzalez's statement is "sabotaging" PDEA operations. "Now he (Gonzalez) has given potentially crucial arguments to the defense counsels of all those facing illegal drugs cases resulting from PDEA operations led by Marcelino. A responsible Justice Secretary thinking of the national interest should have made his legal opinions in closed door meetings instead of a press conference," Golez said in a text message sent to reporters. "In apparently spiting an agency he now considers a nemesis, he forgot his role in the fight against illegal drugs. With him at the DOJ helm, PDEA's operations have been neutered," the lawmaker added. - Sophia Dedace and Johanna Camille Sisante, GMANews.TV