Chavez quits as DOJ counsel

Convinced that the government lacks political will, former Solicitor General Francisco Chavez resigned yesterday as the justice department’s special counsel for the recovery of the ill-gotten Marcos wealth.

Justice Secretary Hernando Perez accepted with "regret" the resignation of Chavez, saying the government has lost an able and competent investigator.

Chavez told reporters yesterday the justice department has done "nothing, absolutely nothing" to recover the Marcos loot since he was appointed to the position last April 19.

"I am convinced that up to this very moment, this government does not have the drive, the enthusiasm, the seriousness and the will to pursue the Marcos cash and gold hoard," he said.

Chavez said the Arroyo administration is "not bent" on going after the Marcos assets because First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo is a first cousin of Gregorio Araneta, husband of Irene Marcos.

"I would think that my position as special counsel has been rendered useless and ineffective because of government inaction," he said.

"As it is, the government seems to want to freeze this matter into its perpetual state of inconsequence. I don’t know anymore what this government intends to do whether or not as I said we can expect anything serious from this government for as long as Mike Arroyo happens to be a cousin of Greggy Araneta."

Still, Perez expressed regret at the resignation of Chavez.

"The DOJ believes he can provide the much-needed legal assistance as former solicitor general," Perez said. "However, nobody is forcing him to stay on a job he is no longer interested in."

Chavez also confirmed yesterday the operations of the so-called "Ateneo Mafia" at the justice department as he disclosed that Perez’s aide, lawyer Chona Dimayuga, went on a trip to Berlin last June.

"Dimayuga herself told me that she had instructions from Perez that any document recovered during the trip should be turned over to him exclusively and that the other members of the delegation should not even have copies of the document."