Gonzalez dares congressmen to a debate
Justice Sec. Raul Gonzalez Sr. hit back yesterday at several members of the House committee on dangerous drugs, challenging them to a debate and highlighting his campaign against illegal drugs in the City.
The Secretary also justified his order to city prosecutors to withdraw the information filed in court against a suspected drug pusher in Iloilo.
Gonzalez singled out committee members, Reps. Antonio Cuenco and Elpidio Barzaga Jr., who, he said, were ignorant with procedural rules.
The two congressmen criticized Gonzalez during a House inquiry Friday for allegedly meddling when he ordered prosecutors to withdraw the information filed against Cairoden Abdullah.
“Cuenco and Barzaga are lawyers; they should know the Rules of Court,” Gonzalez said in an interview over DyFM Bombo Radyo-Iloilo yesterday morning. Under the Rules of Court, he pointed out, a prosecutor has the discretion not to conduct a preliminary investigation and dismiss the complaint if there is no sufficient cause in the first place.
On Barzaga, Gonzalez further said, “tell him I’m challenging him to a debate.”
This Barzaga is a professor of law in the Far Eastern University, and yet he is not familiar with the Rules of Court, he added.
And about Cuenco, the secretary said, “I will write him to tell me what it is he wants. In fact, I can call him directly and challenge him to a debate.”
Gonzalez denied meddling with complaints filed before the Iloilo City Prosecutor’s Office and awaiting preliminary investigation.
“Had I been meddling, then I would have ordered the fiscal there to hasten the resolution of cases which had long been pending but had not yet undergone preliminary investigation,” Gonzalez stressed.
He said his order to withdraw the information against Abdullah was “based on facts and evidence.”
Gonzalez highlighted his own campaign against illegal drugs in Iloilo City.
I am the one spending for the anti-drug operations of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and the Regional Anti Illegal Drugs Special Operations Group of the Police Regional Office six, he said.
“It’s my intelligence fund they are using in their operations,” the secretary stressed.
In fact, I was even sued because of my anti-illegal drug campaign in the city, he said, referring to the charges for libel, grave abuse of authority, grave misconduct, and oppression filed by SPO1 Rex de los Reyes against him.
De los Reyes was among the police officers whose reassignment was asked by Gonzalez because they were alleged to be protecting drug pushers in the City. Gonzalez said he has asked the Philippine National Police to transfer De los Reyes to Mindanao.
“So, these two congressmen should instead be helping me; all of you should be helping me,” he said.