DOJ executives starting from Usec Blancaflor (through whose office the draft order of release of the Alabang boys was coursed) and the prosecutors went on leave yesterday upon instruction of the President. Indefinite leave, as it seems.
Their colleagues and fellow prosecutors in the DOJ, and those who were asked to go on leave themselves, should not fret, should put a smile on their grim and sad faces: the President owes Raul Gonzales her presidency, she won’t let you down, little boy blue, just let the news coverage blow over.
Malacañang stops short. See?
The President has the power to summarily axe non-career government personnel and to transfer those who could not be axed summarily, she has the power to conduct her own silent speedy investigation in a matter of three days to get to the bottom of the bribery allegations and thereafter fire or transfer the concerned personnel, she has the power to give walking papers to the head of any government agency who sits at the top of the giving and taking (and thereafter cause the filing of complaints), yet she leaves the so-called investigation to mere DOJ underlings, the NBI. The NBI being a subordinate agency of the DOJ, cannot be expected to undertake a speedy impartial investigation of its own bosses, (the DOJ bosses), who sign their merit promotions, their paychecks, etc. For that matter, any panel created by the DOJ secretary would be suspect.
Without exercising these options created by the powers vested on the office of the president, the leave of the DOJ execs and prosecutors is perhaps good only until the news coverage of the bribery allegations blows over.
It’s the equivalent of the President telling the DOJ execs and prosecutors: “Just cool your heels, boys. Chill.”
Discover more from marichulambino.com
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
