Gonzales charged for meddling in affairs of prosecutors' league

Justice Secretary Raul Gonzales has been charged with coercion, estafa and corruption for allegedly meddling in the affairs of the National Prosecutors' League of the Philippines.

NPLP president Ferrer Co filed the coercion and estafa charges before the Manila City Prosecutor's Office while the corruption complaint was separately lodge before the Ombudsman last week.

The charges stemmed from the alleged intervention of Gonzales in the private affairs of the prosecutors' league. Co said that Gonzales approved the holding of the 18th national prosecutors' convention and the 9th election of officers from August 25 to 27 at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel.

According to Co, Gonzales issued an order authorizing attendance to the convention on official time, which means that the prosecutors can collect salaries and allowances even if they are out on a private affair.

Gonzales was even said to have threatened that he will only recognize the officials elected during the Cebu gathering. Co said such order is already an act of coercing him to attend to what he described as an "illegal convention."

Co explained that they have already scheduled the convention and election last April 4 to 6 at Dakak Resort in Dapitan City. However, the election was declared a failure for lack of quorum because Gonzales allegedly issued a memorandum canceling the affair.

Co said that Gonzales' cancellation of the convention and election in Dakak was questionable because he has no authority to cancel a private affair. Co added that because of the failure of election, he is on hold over capacity until next year when they will have another election.

Aside from coercion, Co likewise charged Gonzales with corruption before the anti-graft office for allowing the use of government time and resources in private affair.

Co explained that Gonzales' Department Order 509, which authorized attendance on official time for the Cebu convention and election, was in violation of the anti-graft law because the affair is private.

He also filed a separate case for injunction against the members of the convention executive committee before the court in Manila to block the Cebu convention, asking for a temporary restraining order against the holding of the event.

Co said that the scheduled convention and election is unconstitutional because under their by-laws, it should be held a week before the Holy Week. The injunction case is yet to be resolved by the Manila court.

On top of these charges, Co also filed estafa case before the Manila City Prosecutor's Office against Gonzales for allegedly ordering the cashier of DOJ's accounting and finance department not to release the P1.2 million remittances of the league members to the NPLP treasurer.

Gonzales instead ordered the cashier to give the money to the members of the convention executive committee, but Co said that Gonzales' order was illegal because it was the money of the league.

Co warned that he might also charge Regional State Prosecutor Antonio Arellano with estafa if he will utilize the money for the holding of the convention and election in Cebu. - Fred P. Languido