De Lima: No offer of new post

MANILA, Philippines - Justice Secretary Leila de Lima yesterday denied rumors she was offered a new post as ambassador to the United States.

In an interview with The STAR, De Lima admitted she has been asked a couple of times about the supposed reshuffle in President Aquino’s Cabinet, where she is said to be leaving the Department of Justice (DOJ) and transferring to Washington.

“But there’s no such thing, no such offer. The President has not mentioned anything close to that,” she said.

If ever such offer will be made, De Lima said that she is not interested in the Washington post.

“I don’t think I could fit in that post. Isn’t that supposed to be for retiring officials?” she said in jest.

Rumors had circulated that the justice chief will replace Jose Cuisia Jr. as ambassador to the US.

De Lima, on the other hand, will reportedly be replaced by Executive Secretary Pacquito Ochoa Jr.

Malacañang has remained mum on the issue.

De Lima said she has many more duties to fulfill in the DOJ until the end of the President’s term in 2016.

De Lima had vied for the chief justice post earlier this year. She was said to be the President’s favored candidate but she was disqualified by the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) due to pending disbarment cases filed against her, emanating from her public attacks against former chief justice Renato Corona.
 

Puno to DA?

Meanwhile, there was no word yet if former Interior and Local Government undersecretary Rico Puno, a personal friend and shooting buddy of President Aquino, would be given a position at the Department of Agriculture (DA).

“There has been no discussion on that point so we cannot make any comment on that. What we are waiting for is actually the next appointee to the position of chief presidential legal counsel. But with respect to Rico Puno, we have no official word on that so I cannot confirm if he is going to be part of the DA. That’s as far as our information is concerned,” presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said.

Puno resigned after he was accused of trying to break into the condominium unit of the late Interior and Local Government secretary Jesse Robredo, who died in a plane crash in August.  – With Aurea Calica