Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra, government caretaker while President Rodrigo Duterte is away on official visits to Israel and Jordan, answers questions on the revocation of Senator Antonio Trillianes IV’s amnesty at the Department of Justice in Manila on September 4, 2018. INQUIRER/ MARIANNE BERMUDEZ
The past few days might have been too stressful for Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra that he seemed to have developed a phobia: being a government caretaker.
Since news broke out about President Rodrigo Duterte’s revocation of Senator Antonio Trillanes IV’s amnesty, Guevarra had been sought after by many especially the media for the official explanation on the executive branch’s move against a staunch administration critic.
During the 52nd anniversary celebration of the National Police Commission (Napolcom) on Friday, Guevarra quipped: “Alam niyo medyo napo-phobia na ako sa caretaker-caretaker na ‘yan eh.”
Guevarra was first tasked to take care of the government when Mr. Duterte left for Russia in May 2017. Back then, he had hopes that things would go smoothly since the President brought with him in his trip most of the Cabinet members. Guevarra was Senior Deputy Executive Secretary at the time.
“Eh ‘di sabi ko, ‘Okay sige, dyan lang kayo, at ako na bahala dito sa OP (Office of the President), things would probably run smoothly,” he recalled.
“(But) while they were there (in Russia), kararating lang nila, I got a phone call, gabi na ‘yon around 10:30 in the evening, strange phone call, I was already in my pajamas.”
“It was Secretary Bong Go on the line. And he said, ‘SDES (Senior Deputy Executive Secretary), gusto kang kausapin ng Presidente,” he said.
He said his worst fears were confirmed when Mr. Duterte directed him to facilitate the dissemination of a very sensitive information.
“Kinausap niya na ako, in fact nasa banyo ako no’n eh. Sabi niya, ‘Menard, I want to inform (you) that I have decided to declare martial law in Mindanao, and I want you to draft the proclamation right away, and announce it in Manila’,” Guevarra recollected.
Guevarra survived that episode of his government caretaker role, and relieved it was finally over. Or so he thought. Because on September 2, he was left to take care of the government again since the President and his men were off to official visits to Israel and Jordan.
“So ang una kong dinalangin no’ng ako’y ma-designate na caretaker ay sana itong week na ‘to, tahimik at walang problema. Eh bago umalis, sa airport, no’ng inihinatid ko departure nila no’ng Sunday, may inabot sa aking papel,” Guevarra narrated.
“Proclamation na naman,” Guevarra said, drawing laughter from the audience. “So alam niyo na kung ano ‘yong proclamation na ‘yon.”
On September 4, the Duterte administration released to the public Proclamation No. 572 via an ad placed in a broadsheet. As everyone knows by now, Mr. Duterte’s directive revoked the amnesty given to Trillanes in 2011. /kga
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