For more than a week, King Raul and his PR boys have been floating the idea that he might step down from his post as DOJ secretary long before the November 2009 deadline for the filing of certificates of candidacy for national and local positions. He said he wants to spend more time for an ailing son and start preparing for the 2010 elections. He is running for city mayor, he said. He added that he’s been offered the position of Presidential Chief Legal Counsel, but he’s inclined to decline it because of his desire to attend to personal matters. The key word is “resign”.
But this is not what had happened based on the announcement yesterday of presidential deputy spokesperson Lorelei Fajardo. King Raul did not resign. He was appointed to the position of Presidential Chief Legal Counsel. No mention was made of a resignation that he submitted. The President simply said, “you’re no longer DOJ secretary, but you can hang on as chief legal counsel if you like.” Finally, the President exercised her prerogative of removing King Raul from his perch of tremendous power and gave him a titular position from where he could not even snarl and intimidate people. King Raul was given the boot!
The appointment was signed June 4, 2009 yet, according to Ms. Fajardo. As late as Saturday, King Raul was making it appear he had not made up his mind about the exact date for his departure from the DOJ portfolio. He sounded as if it were still up to him when he would finally leave the position. Perhaps the President didn’t like the idea that King Raul was still hanging on for a few weeks, so she dropped the axe. It’s possible King Raul didn’t even know ahead of time that his head had already been chopped.
This is a time for rejoicing for me. I even consider it the “real independence day” for justice in the country. We have been freed from the yokes of oppression and tyranny, not to mention ignorance of the law. The victims of injustice can now look forward to getting the scales of justice tipped back to equal. I am tempted to dance in the streets at this big blow delivered to King Raul. He deserves this loss of face and humiliation. He is now on the lonely road to perdition.
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June 12, 2009 at 7:57 pm
Raul Gonzalez never knew what hit him. In a cable TV interview last Saturday, June 6, the former Justice Secretary was telling Ilonggos that he was still considering “resigning” from his DOJ portfolio and “accepting” the position as Presidential Chief Legal Counsel. That means that he didn’t even know yet he had been fired. He didn’t get the courtesy of being informed he was no longer DOJ secretary upon his return to Manila. But I don’t feel any sympathy for Gonzalez. He deserved such shabby treatment.