Aguirre resigns as DOJ Secretary

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte speaks with Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II on the sidelines of the 120th founding anniversary of the Department of Justice (DOJ) at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) in Pasay City on September 26, 2017. (ACE MORANDANTE/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO)

MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday, April 5, confirmed that Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II has resigned.

“I accepted the resignation of Vit Aguirre, my fraternity brother,” the president said in a speech delivered in Malacañang.

Duterte did not mention who would replace Aguirre as Justice Secretary but said he is already looking for his replacement.

Aguirre’s resignation came a day after the Palace said that the Office of the President has not received a resignation letter from him yet.

Senior Deputy Executive Secretary Menardo Guevarra yesterday noted that in spite of the “certain debacles that happened to the DOJ recently,” the president remains “generally satisfied” with Aguirre’s service.

“The President did not hide his displeasure about certain developments pertaining to the war on drugs, more specifically the dismissal of charges against certain high profile suspects,” he said.

Speculations on Aguirre’s resignation has been circulating as early as March this year after the DOJ dismissed drug charges against alleged narco-personalities Kerwin Espinosa, Peter Lim, and cohort.

The ex-Justice Secretary on March 20 maintained that he would not resign and dispelled rumors that the president wanted him out of DOJ.

“There’s no reason why I should resign kasi wala naman akong kasalanan (because I did nothing wrong),” he said, but added that he is willing to leave his post if the president loses trust in him.

“If the President says so, o nakaramdam ako na kulang na ang pagtitiwala sa akin, mabilis pa sa alas-kwatro, resign tayo (or if I feel that his trust in me has lessened, immediately, I would resign),” Aguirre said.

His statement came after Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said in a press briefing on March 19 that the president was unhappy with the Cabinet and would make changes in it.

“Hindi raw po siya happy sa gabinete niya at siyempre magkakaroon ng pagbabago. Pero yun lang po ang sinabi ni Presidente. Wala na po siyang ibang nabanggit (He is not happy with his Cabinet, and, of course, there will be changes. But that’s all that he said. He did not mention anything else),” Roque said.

He, however, did not mention Aguirre or any Cabinet members.

Aguirre is the fourth Cabinet member to resign from the government. Vice President Leni Robredo, former Chairperson of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council; Rodolfo Salalima, former Information and Communications Technology chief; and  Peter Laviña, former National Irrigation Authority chief resigned before him.