MANILA – A panel of the country’s organization of lawyers recommended the suspension for one year a senior member of the Arroyo Cabinet for alleged obstruction of the country’s electoral process.
The suspension of Secretary Raul Gonzalez of the Department of Justice was recommended by the Commission on Bar Discipline of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP), the mother organization of the country’s lawyers’ groups.
In a resolution, the IBP panel sought the suspension for one year of Gonzalez from practicing as a lawyer “for obstruction of the electoral process” in connection with the May 2007 midterm elections.
The IBI resolution described as “reprehensible conduct” the offer of Gonzalez of a cash reward equivalent to $250 to “barangay” (village) chairmen of in his home province of Iloilo in the Visayas.
The reward, the resolution said, was offered to any barangay chairman who could ensure a 12-0 victory in favor of the administration candidates running for senator in the 2007 polls.
The IBP panel did not say whether the Gonzalez offer succeeded in its aim of achieving a 12-0 victory in Iloilo for the Arroyo candidates who ran under the administration’s Team Unity ticket.
But on the whole, only three Team Unity bets survived the onslaught from their counterparts from the United Opposition, who won nine of the 12 Senate seats at stake in the elections..
The survivors were reelectionist Senators Joker Arroyo and Edgardo Angara and freshman Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri.
A visibly irate Gonzalez wrote a letter to the IBP on Wednesday in which he complained about the release of the resolution as he pointed out it should have been treated as confidential under the IBP rules.
But, at the same time, the justice secretary said the resolution for his suspension is only recommendatory because it is the Supreme Court which has to act on it as the final arbiter.
Gonzalez, a controversial member of the Arroyo Cabinet for his “abrasiveness” and for being outspoken, has lately been in the limelight in connection with his running “word war” with officials of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).
The dispute arose following claims by PDEA officials regarding bribery that allegedly attended the dismissal by state prosecutors under the justice department of cases filed by the PDEA against arrested suspected illegal drug dealers.
The complaint against Gonzalez at the IBP was filed by an equally colorful and controversial personality, lawyer Elly Pamatong.
Pamatong was disqualified as a “nuisance candidate” by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) from running in the May 2004 presidential elections.
In protest, Pamatong admitted strewing nails and other pointed objects in the major streets of Metro Manila, which blew out the tires of motorists.
Gonzalez blamed Pamatong for the release of what he said was a confidential IBP document.
“That fellow is looking for publicity,” Gonzalez said referring to Pamatong.
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