SOME disgruntled employees of the Department of Justice who are against the government’s war against corruption are plotting the ouster of Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II.
Aguirre made the revelation in his speech during Monday’s flag-raising ceremony where he announced that the DoJ will commence its anti-graft and corruption, starting with the cleansing of the DoJ of erring officials and employees.
Aguirre said the employees conspiring his ouster are the “misguided few” allegedly involved in corrupt activities to the detriment of the majority who are just doing their job and mandate.
“There are reports that the same disgruntled DoJ employees are plotting my ouster from the DoJ. I know that some of you have been meeting on government time and have been using government resources to plot my ouster,” he said.
“Henceforth, you can meet and you can plot, that is your right, but never again on government time and never again using government resources,” Aguirre added, without identifying those involved in the conspiracy to oust him.
“To the plotters, let me say this to you. I did not ask to be appointed to the DoJ. I did not seek this appointment. I will not even lose a single night’s sleep if this post is taken away from me. I might even be thankful if I am removed. Hindi tayo kapit tuko,” the added.
Aguirre warned those involved in the plot that they will not be allowed to taint the work of the majority who are simply doing their job and mandate, adding that government time and resources must only be used to serve the interest of justice and the Filipino people.
The Justice secretary said those who will go against the government’s drive against corruption will be stopped and prosecuted to the full extent of the law.
“Corruption by commission and corruption by omission must both be stopped. It simply has to stop. Stop it or we will stop you. Some quarters paint my actions with colors of personal persecution. They claim that they are being targeted whimsically and capriciously. There is no truth to that,” he said.
“We will adopt a business-like approach in pursuing the corrupt. We will prosecute. We will never persecute. Nothing more, nothing less,” he stressed.
While admitting that the war against corruption cannot be won without the help and participation of the DoJ rank-and-file employees, Aguirre appealed for their help by providing information on the corrupt activities of some of their co-workers.
“I do not want to be a hypocrite. I will not, and I cannot, weed out corruption in other government offices, if our own backyard is dirty. We have to clean house first. There must be no white washed tomb in any office in the DoJ. I call upon everyone who personally knew the corrupt acts of some DoJ personnel to join us in our efforts to better the DoJ,” Aguirre said.