MANILA, Philippines – President Rodrigo Duterte announced on Thursday, April 5, that he has accepted the resignation of Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II.

“I accepted the resignation of Vit Aguirre, my fraternity brother,” Duterte announced in a Palace event on Thursday.

There had been talk about Aguirre’s impending departure from the Duterte Cabinet even before the Holy Week, but the justice chief’s attendance at a Cabinet meeting on Wednesday, April 4, seemed to suggest otherwise. At the end of the Cabinet meeting, Aguirre even had his photo taken beside Duterte, which he released to the media.

During a Palace briefing on Thursday hours before Duterte’s announcement, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said that “there was no indication” that Aguirre was on the way out, based on what happened at the Wednesday Cabinet meeting.

The justice chief’s resignation follows weeks of speculation after Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said changes in the Cabinet were underway due to Duterte’s dissatisfaction with some secretaries.

Aguirre had earlier said he did not feel alluded to by the President’s statement.

Drug lords issue

Talks about Aguirre’s departure from Duterte government started mid-March when the Department of Justice (DOJ) panel of prosecutors dismissed drug trade charges against self-confessed drug lord Kerwin Espinosa and his alleged partner in the Visayan drug trade, Cebu-based businessman Peter Lim.

Lim was among the first alleged drug lords to get a death threat from Duterte himself early in his administration. The dismissal of charges against the alleged big-time drug lord raised doubts on the legitimacy of the government’s war on drugs. 

It also put the DOJ at odds with the police, as panel of prosecutors blamed the latter for giving them weak evidence against the alleged drug lords. The Philippine National Police, in turn, criticized the prosecutors for not giving police a heads up that they needed stronger evidence against the suspects.

Duterte was furious over the dismissal of charges, and had “joked” about putting Aguirre behind bars if charges against Espinosa and Lim are dismissed with finality, according to his spokesman. This prompted Aguirre to assemble a new team to conduct fresh investigations into the charges. Lim is scheduled to appear before the DOJ on April 12 for new hearings.

Controversies

In the weeks that followed, more controversies hounded Aguirre and the DOJ.

Aguirre put alleged pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles under provisional state protection. It was also revealed that Napoles’ lawyer, Stephen David, enjoyed easy access to him and Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea.

The DOJ also dismissed charges Bohol Board Member Rey Niño Boniel charged of parricide for killing his wife, Bien-Unido Mayor Gisela Bendong-Boniel. Police involved in the investigation of the case officials slammed the decision as “disturbing and alarming.”  Following outrage over the ruling, Aguirre overturned his prosecutors’ dismissal in a resolution he signed himself.

Meanwhile, Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña has accused Aguirre of manipulating the Cebu prosecutors into clearing BDO Unibank of its tax liabilities.

The two have threatened suits against each other.

Fraternity brothers

Aguirre has a long relationship with Duterte. He was a batch ahead of the President at the San Beda Law School, but both are members of the formidable Lex Taleonis Fraternity. (READ: Vitaliano Aguirre: ‘Fake news’ king to opposition, ‘bright boy’ to Duterte)

Aguirre served as lawyer for a Davao policeman who was accused of leading killings under the so-called Davao Death Squad (DDS).

Aguirre has been floated as one of the candidates for the PDP-Laban’s senatorial slate, but he was left out of the list when the party announced a lineup last March.

Aguirre is the 9th official to leave the Duterte Cabinet.

Other former Cabinet officials are Vice President Leni Robredo who was forced to resign from her post as housing czar; Interior Secretary Ismael Sueno who was fired by Duterte; and Information and Communications Technology Secretary Rodolfo Salalima who also resigned.

Cabinet officials who left their posts after failing to get the nod of the Commission on Appointments are Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr, Environment Secretary Gina Lopez, Social Welfare Secretary Judy Taguiwalo, Agrarian Secretary Rafael Mariano, and Health Secretary Paulyn Ubial. – With a report from Lian Buan / Rappler.com