MANILA, Philippines—Lawmakers are puzzled by Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez’s lack of anger at lawyer Felisberto Verano, who admitted that he used the letterhead of the Department of Justice (DOJ) to draft a release order for his clients nabbed for alleged drug pushing.

Gonzalez should have directed his wrath not at drug agent Maj. Ferdinand Marcelino but at Verano during their exchange of words during Wednesday’s hearing of the House committee on dangerous drugs, Parañaque Rep. Roilo Golez said Thursday at a forum in Quezon City.

Cebu Rep. Antonio Cuenco also said he expected Gonzalez to flare up at Verano.

“He should have reprimanded him, scolded him, raised hell and castigated him. I don’t know why he did not do that,” Cuenco said at the forum.

Muntinlupa Rep. Rufino Biazon also observed that Gonzalez did not seem to be angry, and yet Verano’s action put him at a disadvantage. But Biazon added that he did not think Gonzalez would let a private individual use the DOJ letterhead.

It was Verano who prepared the draft release order to free Richard Brodett, Joseph Tecson and Jorge Joseph, who were accused of peddling drugs.

The three, who come from well-off families, were arrested in buy-bust operations in Muntinlupa City and Quezon City in September. The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) operatives who arrested them later claimed that they were offered bribes of up to P20 million to release the suspects.

Gonzalez, who did not sign the draft release order, told lawmakers that he did not think a reprimand was necessary because Verano was a private person.

Entrapment

Tension rose when Gonzalez questioned Marcelino, who led the arrest of the suspects, on why he did not entrap the person who offered him a bribe to release the three suspects.

Marcelino had become emotional as he explained that he was not afraid to carry out entrapment operations and had even arrested five of his own men at one time.

He also said he saw no problem with the system, adding that the problem lay in the people who were not doing what was proper.

Gonzalez then remarked that perhaps the PDEA agents (who came from the military) should correct people “as you are correcting people in Basilan.”

Marcelino then retorted that he was not a war freak, as the justice secretary’s statement seemed to insinuate.

Gonzalez immediately responded that he was insinuating no such thing.

The PDEA agent then said: “We know what the war in Basilan is like.” This seemed to irk Gonzalez, who raised his voice and said: “Do not talk to me like that.”

Marcelino softened his tone and apologized to the justice secretary.

Palace support

Members of the PDEA staff have found an ally in Malacañang amid their row with state prosecutors.

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita on Wednesday assured PDEA agents of Malacañang’s continued support in their campaign to address the worsening problem of drug trafficking in the country.

“If Malacañang is not satisfied (with their job), then there would have been a shakeup of the organization. But they are doing well,” Ermita told reporters.

The commendation was welcome news for PDEA officials who were battling with state prosecutors over the case of the “Alabang Boys.”

PDEA Director General Dionisio Santiago and his men were dismayed over the department’s preliminary decision to dismiss the charges purportedly because of the agency’s failure to properly carry out the arrest.

Ermita was optimistic that PDEA’s efforts would not go “for naught” especially with Gonzalez’s Jan. 5 circular covering the automatic review of major drug cases.

Ermita read to reporters a portion of the circular—a reiteration of an existing order by former Justice Secretary Simeon Datumanong—stating that, “no copy of the resolution in the cases covered by automatic review of the Secretary of Justice shall be released and/or promulgated pending exercise of such review.”

“Any resolution in violation thereof released shall be invalid as having been issued without authority…and the officers and persons responsible for such release shall be administratively and criminally dealt with,” he continued.

Ermita said President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo would await the result of Gonzalez’s review of state prosecutor John Resado’s controversial dismissal of the Alabang Boys’ drug case. With a report from Christian Esguerra