Guevarra to incoming Justice chief Remulla: Just follow what the law says

Outgoing Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra on Wednesday advised his likely successor Cavite Representative Jesus Crispin "Boying" Remulla that he will never go wrong if he upholds the law.

At the Kahipan sa Manila Bay, Guevarra was asked what he would advise Remulla, who will be coming into office with the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) on his plate.

Host Marichu Villanueva said president-elect Ferdinand Marcos has plans for the PCGG such as expanding the agency.

“Well like I say to everyone else, you just follow what the law says. Because you won’t go wrong. You will never go wrong if you uphold the law. So kung ano ‘yung tingin mong tama, under the law, ‘yun ang gawin mo [do what you think is right under the law],” Guevarra said.

President Corazon Aquino established the PCGG in 1986 to recover the ill-gotten wealth accumulated by late dictator Ferdinand Marcos, his family, relatives, subordinates, and close associates.

The president-elect previously said he wants the PCGG  to go after individuals involved in corruption and not just the Marcoses.

This was echoed by the Justice Secretary.

“In other words, i-expand mo dahil may [expand it because there is] ill-gotten wealth not only by a previous specific administration, as alleged but also by other people, no, by other government officials in the past who might have committed the same offense,” Guevarra said.

He added that the DOJ advised the PCGG to check if it needs to comply with the observation of the Commission on Audit (COA).

In its 2021 annual audit report, state auditors flagged 122 pieces of surrendered artworks such as paintings, statues, jars, framed wood carvings, wood carvings, tapestries, lithographs, framed cross stitch artwork, wine goblet, upright piano, decanter, collage, brass item, abstract news clipping, framed newsprint, drawings, plaque, and brass sculpture found at the PCGG station that were not recorded in the agency’s books.

The COA recommended that the PCGG verify the accuracy of the inventory report, cause the appraisal of properties, and coordinate with the Chief accountant for proper accounting and recording in the books.

“So they will have to comply kung tama naman ‘yung finding ng COA,” Guevarra said.

“It’s not as if may tinatago ang PCGG. It’s just a matter of looking or entering into accounting records ng PCGG. Ganon lang naman ‘yun,” he added.

(So they will have to comply if the COA's findings are correct. It's not as if the PCGG is hiding anything. It’s just a matter of looking or entering into the PCGG's accounting records. That's just how it is.)

Drug war

Meanwhile, Guevarra said the most sensitive matter he handled under the Duterte administration was the drug war.

“[T]he DOJ had to take important steps to make accountable ‘yung mga law enforcement agents who were directly instructed by the president to go all out,” he said.

“So palagay ko ‘yan ang pinaka significant na [In my opinion that was the most significant] point of stress between myself as DOJ and the president,” he added.

Guevarra, however, said Duterte understood where the DOJ was coming from.

He said the president never told him to stop investigating deficiencies in the drug war.

“In fairness to him, I think he understood it. He called my attention. He never told me, 'Secretary Guevarra, please go slow diyan sa pagimbestiga mo',” he said.

Guevarra also believes that despite its excesses, the drug war was overall a success.

Justice system

Asked about detained Senator Leila De Lima’s remarks that the justice system is broken, Guevarra maintained that it still works.

He said he cannot blame De Lima for her remark as she is “the one behind bars.”

De Lima, a known critic of the Duterte administration, has been detained in Camp Crame since 2017, accused of involvement in the drug trade at the New Bilibid Prison. She has denied the allegations.

“But you know despite the imperfections in our justice system, I would say that it works. Hindi naman siya masasabing [We can't say that it's] extremely or very efficient because no judicial or legal system is perfect dahil human creation ‘yan,” Guevarra said.

“It’s prone to, you know, manipulations. It’s prone to corruption. And not only in the Philippines. It happens almost everywhere else. It’s only a matter of degree,” he added.

Guevarra also said the DOJ has started the digitalization of around 48,000 records of persons deprived of liberty three weeks ago.

He said it will take about eight months for this to be completed. — BM, GMA News