On the reported anomalous practices of the chairman of the Presidential Antigraft Commission, Dr. Constancia de Guzman, faced with accusations of nepotism and other wrongdoings, presented quite a lame defense when she claimed the appointments she gave her daughter-in-law and other relatives were not in violation of existing graft laws.

I disagree. Assuming for the sake of argument that she has not committed nepotism per se, nonetheless it is apparent that she lacks the simplest aspect that a public officer should respect and follow: that public office is a public trust, and that there is such an honorable word as delicadeza.

A commentary of a well-known author on constitutional law had this to say, relevant to the conduct of a public official, especially one who sits in such a lofty position as chairman of the antigraft commission in the Office of the President: “Public interest demands not only that every public official or employee keeps faith with the trust reposed upon him. Like Caesar’s wife he should be above suspicion. Accordingly, he should not place himself in a position where his loyalty to the people may clash with his loyalty to his own interest or those of his family…” (De Leon, Phil. Constitutional Law, Principles and Cases, Vol. 2 pp. 529-530).

In our law books is found the following excerpt which is considered holy writ: “A public official or employee, therefore, occupies a very delicate position which exacts from him certain standards which generally are not demanded from or required from ordinary citizens” (Morfe v. Mutuc 22 SCRA 424).

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The Supreme Court requires all lawyers, even judges, to undergo mandatory continuing legal education. This is a good program because it keeps men and women of the Bar, especially those in private practice, abreast of new laws and updated jurisprudence, of rules and procedures so that they are always aware of developments in the legal process and refinements in our existing laws. For it is true that law is not static, but a progressive and self-improving process. My only problem here is that the mandatory continuing legal education, or the MCLE program, is in danger of becoming too commercialized, so much so that it is now turning out to be like a review center charging exorbitant fees. It has reached a point where any commercially inclined group of lawyers can set up their own MCLE program and issue attendance certificates, and I wonder whether such activities are actually supervised by authorized bodies. Does the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) sponsor MCLE programs on a regular basis to ensure the quality of subjects and lecturers, with its thrust more on continuing education and not centered on profit? I believe the Supreme Court should revisit the MCLE program to see how it is being implemented, and how refinements are instituted for the benefit of all the members of the Bar.

9 Responses to “Her defense was quite lame”

• 1
  Lawrence
  December 14th, 2009 06:51

  “A public official or employee, therefore, occupies a very delicate position which exacts from him certain standards which generally are not demanded from or required from ordinary citizens” Why don’t you tell that to yourself Raul Gonzalez, ikaw na wala nang alam gawin kungdi mambastos nang kapwa. You who have consistently displayed such brazen arrogance, a complete lack of sympathy for victims of crimes, a total lack of manners and decorum in how you conduct yourself in public, close ties with drug pushers and violent criminals…the list goes on! Like everyone says, “Before you point a finger, make sure your hand are clean Raul Gonzalez!”
• 2
  Lawrence
  December 14th, 2009 07:00

  BTW, Raul Gonzalez, I mailed and emailed your piece badmouthing the Chairman of PAGC to the chairman herself, Dr. Constancia de Guzman.
  Keep digging that grave Raul Gonzalez, keep digging that grave. The more you talk, the more enemies you make. You are so stupid! So bitter! Malapit ka nang mamatay, napakabastos mo pa rin, ULOL! Ikaw ang hipokrito, ikaw ang walang delicadeza, matanda ka! Dakdak ka nang dakdak, palengkera ka! Palagi ka na lang inggit sa iba kasi sinipa ka ni GMA, icha puera ka! Binasura ka nang amo mo! Akala mo kung sinong malinis, yon pala ay basura si Raul Gonzalez!
• 3
  Lawrence
  December 15th, 2009 10:32

  Response to Raul Gonzalez by the PAGC Chairman (excerpt only):
  This refers to your email on 14 December 2009 with the subject. “Sira Ulo Raul Gonzalez is badmouthing Chairman Dr. Constancia de Guzman.” pertaining to an article by
  Mr. Raul M. Gonzalez, “Her defense is quite lame.”
  The Chairman wishes to relay to you her gratefulnes for your e-mail. It was her desire to reiterate her commitment to continue working towards the achievement of good government through anti-corruption campaigns and assure
  you that she has not done anything abusive that will destroy the trust you have bestowed upon her.
  We would like to inform you that the issues raised in the article by Mr. Gonzalez were already addressed by Secretary de Guzrnan in her Press Statement which was given during
  the press conference held on 17 November 2009.
  We would also like to take this opportunity to correct some misquotations and misstatement of facts that were contained in the article. First of all, the article referred to an
  appointment extended to her daughter-in-law, an allegation
  which has no factual basis. The person being referred to in the article is not married to the Secretary’s son. Moreover, as
  already stated in the Press Statement the person being referred to here is very qualified and effective in her work. Unfortunately, she has already resigned from her position in the hope that her resignation will finally put to rest the issues that are being thrown against the Commission and its leader.
  Please be assured that our Chairnran, Dr. Constancia P. De Guzman, will not be distracted by the trials she is currently f acing and will not waver in fullilling her commitment
  to fight against corruption.
  Thank you.
  Very truly yours,
  ATTY. JENNIFER M. BALBA
  Hlead, Complains and Investigation Unit
• 4
  Dale Joronadal
  December 15th, 2009 11:22

  Ikaw Raul Gonzalez ang wala delikadesa! You were fired from the DOJ because you can’t do your job! and now you want to run for mayor at 80 years old! Drug pusher coddler running for mayor! Where are you gonna conduct your campaign, form the ICU of a hospital? Where is your delikadesa Raul Gonzalez, when you bribe the barangay captains with a weekly allowance so that they will support your candidacy! Grabe sa imo ka hipokrito, wala tupong!
• 5
  Rannie Mina
  December 15th, 2009 11:57

  TOXIC Raul Gonzalez is at it again, digging dirt on Dr. de Guzman, when he is the one who’s covered in filth from top to bottom! Look in the mirror RG! And shut your dirty mouth!
• 6
  Bing Miraflores
  December 15th, 2009 12:20

  “..public office is a public trust…” Raul Gonzalez violated his public office and the public trust, in a most hideuos manner, when as the DoJ Secretary, he did everything he could to help accused murderer and rapist Vicente Espinosa get away with grisly crimes! All for the love of money and power. Raul Gonzalez is a certified bastard who should go to hell today.
• 7
  Jay Dumalag
  December 15th, 2009 12:43

  Raul Gonzalez, where is public trust, when you sat on the Vice Mayor Ramon Rojas murder case for over one year, doing nothing in the interest of justice, but instead employing all kinds of tricks to delay the case and to have Etik Espinosa get away with murder. INjustice Secretary. And you dare to cricitisize others, you whose hands are drenched in the blood of an innocent man! Raul Gonzalez, you are in the same category as the most brutal murderers of our time!!!!!! That is the simple truth. You are not fooling anyone.
• 8
  Elijah Simonio
  December 17th, 2009 10:46

  What about you Raul Gonzalez? You are an abrasive lowlife!What is your defense for being the *sshole that you are? What is your defense for bribing the barangay captains in an attempt to cling to power through corruption? That you were just born evil! That being a bastard is just your nature!!!!!
• 9
  Tom
  December 18th, 2009 08:58

  Raul Gonzalez has no delicadeza… accepting a meaningless position from GMA who just fired him! He is like a dog going back to his vomit and eating it!
  Where is delicadeza?… when he refused to quit despite all the scandals that rocked his leadership at the doj… he had to be fired!

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