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Trust DOJ acting Secretary Raul Gonzalez to raise an uproar each time he issues a directive or memorandum on cases pending before his office.

That’s because Gonzalez either bends the law or totally breaks it when he makes rulings on sensitive cases, making the rule of law a totally alien concept in the DOJ.

The latest such order, or series of orders, involves the attempt of Gonzalez to weaken the case against “shabu tiangge lord” Amin Boratong instead of trying to strengthening it.

In a classic display of his demented mental faculties, Gonzalez tried to influence his prosecutors into believing that the case is “very weak” because the state witness is a convicted murderer.

Didn’t it ever occur to Gonzalez that you can’t get inside the inner circle of a drug lord if you had a super-clean record?

In other countries, police and other law enforcement agencies even forge records to make it appear that deep penetration agents sent to infiltrate big gangs are notorious criminals.

Common sense dictates that drug lords will be suspicious of persons seeking to join their groups, and always check backgrounds to make sure they are “clean”.

By “clean” is meant not these guys aren’t police moles. In these instances, the more criminal convictions, the more trustworthy you become to the underworld organization.

Hence, Gonzalez is being stupid, again, when he tries to discredit the state witness as a convicted criminal.

It appears that the Anti-money laundering council is pursuing the freezing of Amin Boratong’s bank accounts which involve hundreds of millions of pesos in deposits.

Doesn’t the size of Boratong’s deposits trigger alarm bells in the mind of Gonzalez?

Only in the Philippines do we have a justice secretary who seems to favor criminals than law enforcers.

By the way, Gonzalez appeared as defense witness for kidnap suspect Ronnie Poblacion in Iloilo City and tried to influence the judge to grant leniency to him on account of the latter’s supposed voluntary surrender.

Gonzalez really likes to make friends among drug lords and kidnappers!

Time for a little break from politics.

The P8-billion Iloilo airport of international standards will commence operations on April 12.

This is the most modern and state-of-the-art airport facility in the country today.

It can accommodate the Airbus 320 and 330 easily, hence, flying into Iloilo from neighboring countries like South Korea, Taiwan, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam and Singapore won’t be a problem.

The new airport is about 30 minutes away from the city proper.

The old airport site in Mandurriao will be sold off through an auction and developed into a business center, just like the Ayala center in Cebu which sits on the old Lahug airport.

The new airport is a dream come true. It will serve as gateway of Iloilo to the world.

Once it starts operating, the business climate in Iloilo will never be the same again.

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo will inaugurate the airport on April 5 when she celebrates her birthday.

Last week, Senator Franklin M. Drilon, the man who moved heavens to get the project going and completed, visited the facility and expressed great pleasure at what he saw.

Drilon said the contractor, Taisei-Shimizu, really did an outstanding job!

Senator Franklin M. Drilon is not running for congressman in the lone district of Iloilo City.

“This is one of the most difficult decisions I have had to make,” Drilon told his political supporters during a meeting over the weekend.

Drilon cited personal and practical reasons on why he chose not to tangle head-to-head with incumbent Rep. Raul Gonzalez, Jr. and dislodge Justice acting secretary Raul Gonzalez, Sr. from power.

Clearly, the decision was a big letdown for pro-Drilon political forces.

“We believe Drilon is the only person who can beat Gonzalez,” quipped former mayor Mansueto Malabor.

Surveys conducted independently by local radio stations show that Drilon enjoys tremendous popularity compared to the father-and-son tandem.

A big plus-factor for Drilon was the recent Iloilo capitol assault staged by police commandos upon the explicit orders of the senior Gonzalez.

“There is tremendous public outrage at what Raul Sr. has done to Ilonggos,” said former councilor Joshua Alim. The moment is ripe to overthrow the Gonzalez political empire in the city, he said.

TESDA director general Augusto Boboy Syjuco is gathering senior high school students from all over Iloilo City for a presentation on his ladderized program for careers combining vocational and college education.

But the “education” aspect of the activity is only a cover for the real motive of Syjuco: he wants to project his image as a hard-working, imaginative and results-oriented public servant with a heart for the young.

The truth is Syjuco is a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

Syjuco wants to ride on this TESDA career caravan to gain enough national exposure and be considered as popular enough to be taken as a candidate of the administration for senator.

No doubt about it, Syjuco is a marketing man. And he knows how to market himself.

Those who don’t know him enough might fall into the trap of accepting him the way his propaganda spiels try to make him to be.

Syjuco is a totally different person from what you see on television.

He is greedy for power and money. He treats people like slaves. He has no friends. He is overly ambitious. He will use others to advance his own interests, and when he is done, will readily dump them.

That’s why the people of the 2nd district want to kick him out, along with his wife, Judy, on May 14.

There is a simmering anger and resentment at the rape and plunder Syjuco has committed in the 2nd district.

Now he wants to be senator and set his eyes of the coffers of the national government.

His thirst for wealth and power and influence are simply insatiable.

Acting Vice Governor Emmanuel “Manny” Gallar is looking for a tutor to guide him on a crash course in the English language.

Gallar assumed the position after Vice Governor Roberto “Obet” Armada went on absence without leave for more than a week now.

With his limited vocabulary, Gallar needs the crash course so badly to avoid getting caught with boo-boos in discharging his job as presiding officer of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan under the glare of public scrutiny.

The most recent embarrassing incident happened last January 15, 2007 when Gallar took his oath as vice governor. He said: “I, Manny Gallar, do hereby swear before the Undersecretary of Interior and Local Government CODE…”

Hehehehe.

Former colleagues at Bombo Radyo remember an incident in the early 90s when Gallar was still an anchorman.

He fielded a report from the police station about a policeman who booked a drunk for yelling at the peace officer and saying “fuck you!”

Gallar, not understanding what the term meant, harangued the policeman over the air for wasting government time and resources in booking a drunk for just saying “pakyu”.

“Just because the man said ‘PAKYU’ this policeman took the time to book him,” Gallar said.

When Gallar stepped out of the announcer’s booth to smoke a cigarette, he asked one of the reporters hanging around what “pakyu” meant.

“Sir… it’s bastos, eh,” the reporter replied, telling Gallar the meaning of the phrase in Hiligaynon.

From then on, reporters started calling Gallar “Manny Pakyu” behind his back.

Now you understand why there’s plenty of concern about Gallar discharging the role as presiding officer.

After being sworn into office last January 15, “Governor” Obet Armada became so excited about assuming office at the capitol and lord it over the province under the cloaks of his mentor and sponsor, DOJ acting secretary Gonzalez.

Gonzalez promised him the capitol would be his fiefdom not later than 5 p.m. of January 17, when police commandos stormed the seat of the provincial government in one of the most outrageous episodes involving the uniformed service.

So what Armada did was order catering service for his supporters — good for about 200 people —- from the wife of his chief of staff, former Leganes mayor Ike Rojas.

But the promised delivery of the capitol was foiled by the TRO from the Court of Appeals, and the celebratory dinner had to be aborted.

The result was that there was too much spoiled food afterwards, as the party never took place.

Lesson: Don’t count the chicks before the eggs hatch!

Reprinted below are relevant portions of an article written by former Senator Rene Saguisag in the Manila Times dated January 26, 2007:

“May the Ombudsman remove elective local officials?
“Only the courts can, not any other, and certainly not Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez.
“Section 60 of the Local Government Code is clear. ‘An elective local official may be removed from office… by order of the proper court.’ Invoking it, the Supreme Court ruled in 2002 in Pabico v. Villapando that only the judiciary has such power.
“The Supreme Court added: ‘It is beyond cavil, therefore, that the power to remove erring elective local officials from service is lodged exclusively with the courts.”

There is no question that the Ombudsman exceed its jurisdiction when it imposed a penalty of dismissal on Governor Tupas. It had no power to do so! The DILG also committed a grave blunder when it tried to implement the penalty without giving Governor Tupas due process.

What is happening to our country? We have top-level officials who don’t understand the limit of their powers! They are ignorant of the law. The list is headed by no less than DOJ acting secretary Raul Gonzalez!

More than a week after the Court of Appeals issued a TRO directing the DILG to refrain from implementing the dismissal penalty of the Ombudsman against Governor Niel Tupas, the man who coveted the position of Tupas so badly has not stopped calling himself Governor.

Although he has virtually become a hermit, with his whereabouts unknown to the general public, Roberto “Obet” Armada insists he is the legal occupant to the position he knows will never be his if done through an honest-to-goodness election.

During a fiesta activity in his hometown of Janiuay, the emcee introduced him as Vice Governor Armada. Armada didn’t stand up and go up the stage until the emcee changed his title to “Governor”.

Armada also continues to sign correspondence as “Governor”.

Meanwhile, he’s been absent from work as vice governor for nearly two weeks now.

This has made board member Manny Gallar very happy. As the most senior in rank, Gallar assumed office as acting vice governor after Armada’s absences exceed three days. Before long, Armada would neither be “governor” nor “vice governor”.

Armada should also be forewarned: His actions make him liable for usurpation of official functions. His troubles didn’t end with the TRO. These are just starting to unfold, and he’s going to need the services of his lawyers to fend off the cases that would be filed against him.

Chief Superintendent Wilfredo Dulay is likely to become the shortest-staying general in the history of PNP Regional Office 6.

That’s because Dulay is finding himself all alone in fending off criticism and questions about the “overkill” of a police assault that took place at the Iloilo capitol last January 17, 2007.

 Dulay assumed command on January 4, 2007. With the black-eye that his operation caused the PNP, Dulay may have to be rotated again before he reaches one month in Iloilo to get him out of the line of fire.

It is apparent that Dulay is taking the flak for his superiors, including acting Secretary Raul Gonzalez of DOJ.

When he appeared before the Senate committee on public order headed by Senator Franklin Drilon, Dulay was the image of a beaten man.

Asked if there was illegal assembly at the capitol to justify his order to attack, he answered, “no, sir.”

Asked if there were crimes being committed as to require police action, he answered, “no, sir.”

What prompted you to order the assault then? He was asked.

“I was following orders, sir.” Dulay replied.

Now the people who issued the orders are no longer willing to be associated with the operation.

Even Raul Gonzalez with his wild allegations about NPA guerillas mixing up with Army soldiers who were flown to Iloilo on a C-130 plane declined to appear before the committee.

Secretary Ronnie Puno who appears to have given the go-signal in deference to the pressure of Gonzalez on the police was also nowhere to be seen.

Dulay could not now find legal basis for his action. Nobody wants to touch him with a 10-foot pole. He is being left to fend for himself. Poor fellow.

I read in the column of Belinda Cunanan in yesterday’s Philippine Daily Inquirer the wild allegation about a cal. 30 machine gun mounted at the capitol to defend Gov. Tupas against his would-be captors.

Cunanan was just echoing what she had heard Justice acting secretary Raul Gonzalez saying: that the capitol was well-fortified, with heavily armed NPAs and prisoners positioned inside to repulse the attacking police forces.

Gonzalez added that there was a planeload of Army special forces troops sent by PMA mistahs of Mayor Raul “Boboy” Tupas (Class ‘95) to reinforce the security of the capitol.

Gonzalez is only digging his own grave deeper and deeper with his wild delusion and lunatic rantings.

There were no armed men who had vowed to defend the capitol to their death, as he had claimed to justify the use of excessive force and firepower.

What the police commandos encountered were horrified, shocked, unarmed and defenseless civilians.

The television footages and news photographs provide a vivid and eloquent testimony to this fact.

Gonzalez is hard pressed to present evidence to prove his wild claims. He is telling lies and lies and more lies.

If he has any honor left, he should resign.