Rejoinder to Maceda's column

This is in response to yesterday’s (April 28, 2011) column of former Sen. Ernesto M. Maceda which accused the Solicitor General, among others, of being “greedy and incompetent, calling him a dictator”, that he has lost the Truth Commission case at the Supreme Court and cases at the Sandiganbayan, and that he “has cornered all the government offices/clients that pay the biggest allowances.”

First, we stress that Solicitor General Cadiz had expressly refused to receive allowances from some government agencies, notably the Bureau of Immigration (BI) which Maceda, in a column dated March 31, 2011, has also wrongly written about. Likewise, Solicitor General Cadiz has reduced his allowances and that of the other OSG lawyers from the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA). Thus, Solicitor General Cadiz receives less in allowances as compared to his preceding Solicitors General.

Second, Solicitor General Cadiz has been engaged in the private law practice since 1987 up until his appointment in August 2010. He initially worked as a new lawyer at the Siguion Reyna Monticello and Ongsiako Law Offices in 1987 then moved to Angara Abello Concepcion Regala and Cruz Law Offices, before setting up his own private practice in 1993. His law firm may be small, but it has sustained him and his family for 17 years up to the time of his appointment. The clients of his office should have been long gone if there is any semblance of truth to the accusation that Solicitor General Cadiz is “incompetent”. His expertise in the profession spans decades in the fields of labor, litigation and intellectual property.

Furthermore, he has vigorously defended the constitutionality of the Truth Commission before the Supreme Court. We must be aware, however, of the common perception that the chances of winning cases involving President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo can be very slim. Also, for the record, Solicitor General Cadiz during his term, has not initiated cases before the Sandiganbayan and therefore has not lost at such venue. All the PCGG cases at the Sandiganbayan were initiated in the 1980s and 1990s, and except for a few like the case against Lucio Tan, these cases are already in the Supreme Court, and have been submitted for resolution long before Solicitor-General Cadiz assumed office.

Third, Solicitor General, far from being a “dictator”, is the first Solicitor General to create an Executive Committee (Excom) whose members include the five most senior Assistant Solicitors General and two other Assistant Solicitors General, to assist him in the management of the Office. The OSG Excom meets once a month.

Fourth, it is not true that the OSG plan to spend P1 million for a “lavish” celebration of our 110th anniversary. In fact, upon receipt of quotations, Solicitor General Cadiz, on April 18, 2011, instructed the anniversary committee to exclude the PICC as possible venue because it is far too expensive for the OSG.

We hope that this will clarify the unjust criticisms against the character of Solicitor General Cadiz. Maceda has written several unfounded and derogatory articles against Solicitor General Cadiz (Philippine STAR, December 25, 2010; January 20, 2011; March 31, 2011 and April 5, 2011). It seems that despite our clarifications, Maceda persists in his attacks. — FR. HILARION B. BUBAN, Chief-of-Staff, Office of the Solicitor General