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Iloilo City, Philippines ? Iloilo Governor Niel Tupas Sr. has urged President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to fire his long-time political rival, Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez Sr., from the Cabinet and appoint a person of untarnished integrity to his post.
Tupas claimed that Gonzalez? reputation has been badly damaged, citing the numerous scandals that hit the justice department during his watch, the most recent of which was the alleged bribes given to state prosecutors handling the drug cases against the so-called ?Alabang Boys.?
Removing Gonzalez from the Department of Justice (DOJ) would be the first step for the president in restoring the public's trust in the DOJ, Tupas stressed.
?The public's faith in the country's justice system has been so eroded. It is left hanging on a thread, ready to collapse completely,? he warned.
Firing Gonzalez would be like a ?bitter pill? that President Arroyo should swallow if she were to clean the DOJ, Tupas added.
Tupas? son, Representative Niel Jun-Jun Tupas Jr. of Iloilo?s 5th District, supported the call for Gonzalez? ouster from the DOJ.
?If (Secretary) Gonzalez is out of the DOJ, a lot of problems will go with him, making it easy for President Arroyo to address all the concerns in the department,? the young Tupas said.
But Gonzalez belittled the suggestions of the Tupases.
?They don't know what they are talking about,? Gonzalez told the Inquirer in an interview on Tuesday.
?They should not meddle in the business of national governance,? he added.
Gonzalez said the Tupases ?should address the issues of (alleged) corruption (activities) at the Iloilo Provincial Capitol? rather than interfere in issues of national concern.
Congressman Tupas took potshots at Gonzalez for the illegal drug problem in the province and the controversial dismissal of drug cases filed against suspected pushers.
?He hails from Iloilo, he should know. It is impossible for him to have no knowledge of the problem,? the congressman said.
However, Gonzalez was unconcerned about their allegations. ?These are doubts. Doubts are not facts,? he pointed out. /Inquirer
