Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra pledged on Wednesday that his previous association with Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea and Malacañang would not in any way influence his work at the Department of Justice (DOJ).
Guevarra made this promise when asked during his confirmation hearing by the Commission on Appointments (CA) how his closeness with Medialdea would affect his work especially in deciding controversial cases like the drug charges against self-confessed drug dealer Rolando “Kerwin” Espinosa Jr., and jailed Senator Leila de Lima, among others.
Responding to the question, the DOJ chief admitted his close association with the Executive Secretary, saying they had been partners in law practice for more than 30 years.
“Now if I may say that in the performance of my duties as Secretary of Justice, even if the President (Rodrigo Duterte) did not say that you just follow the rule of law, even if he did not say that, that’s precisely what I intend to do such as my previous association with the Office of the President would not really be a factor to consider when I discharge my functions as Secretary of Justice,” Guevarra said.
“As I said, the President himself told me: Follow the rule of law. So, that’s exactly (what) I’m going to do,” he stressed.
In his opening statement, the official reiterated that he “politely declined” when the post was first offered to him.
“Two months ago, when I was sounded off for this appointment, I politely declined. I said that I was perfectly happy doing my work as Senior Deputy Executive Secretary at the Office President,” Guevarra recalled.
“I also said that there were a lot more qualified people… but maybe the President thought that a more sober, a more deliberative person, less politicized with no visible personal agenda would be fit for the job,” he also told the CA.
Guevarra said he was “truly amazed at the level of trust and confidence” that Duterte have on him to pick him as justice secretary even when they seldom saw each other in Malacañang .
In fact, he said, the President knew him only through his “long and deep partnership with the Executive Secretary and also through all the important papers, orders and other documents that he reviewed for submission to the Chief Executive.
Guevarra replaced former Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre III amid controversies hounding the latter. /kga
READ: Duterte names Menardo Guevarra as justice secretary