DOJ employees declare support for new boss

Officials and employees of the Department of Justice (DOJ) as well as the heads of its various line agencies have expressed "unconditional support" for Justice Secretary Simeon Datumanong, who formally assumed office yesterday.

During the simple turnover ceremonies, acting Justice Secretary Merceditas Gutierrez said the mere presence of DOJ officials and personnel is an assurance that the mandate of the agency "will be done, no matter who holds the reins."

"The same men and women who had supported me in full and given me their unconditional support will be, Mr. Secretary, the very same faithful men and women who unconditionally support you now, as you formally begin to hew a path for our department," Gutierrez said in welcoming Datumanong.

For his part, Datumanong expressed his gratitude for the support and said he will be just a "tool" in making justice in the country work and provide "able leadership."

"I come here with a simple knowledge of the law, but I think that is not what I needed for anyone to lead the DOJ," Datumanong said.

"As I said, I don’t have to come as a legal luminary, but I come as one who has the legacy so that the legal luminaries, the bright people of the DOJ are the stars that will shine, I will be only shining upon them," he said.

Datumanong also allayed fears he will tend to favor his fellow Muslims who are now being prosecuted for various offenses.

He assured the people that all criminal cases will be prosecuted without consideration. "The rule of law must be applied to all equally," he said.

Datumanong holds the distinction of being the first Muslim to be appointed to the DOJ.

The former secretary of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) replaced Hernando Perez as DOJ chief after Perez resigned in the wake of accusations of extortion hurled against him by Manila Rep. Mark Jimenez.

On the brink of extradition, Jimenez voluntarily returned to the United States to face various charges.

The first order of business for Datumanong was a briefing on operational and administrative matters on the DOJ. He was also briefed by senior DOJ officials on the criminal cases pending resolution.

Bad feng shui?

During the turnover ceremonies, Datumanong told officials and employees he will hold office preferably on the ground floor of the main DOJ building.

He clarified, however, that it was not because of perceived bad luck or feng shui (Chinese geomancy). "I’m not as young as I want to be," said the 67-year-old former Maguindanao congressman who said he was suffering from arthritis in his left knee.

"Not because I don’t like to go to the office of former secretary Perez or because of feng shui but it just happened that I am recognizing the fact that God has given me the grace of making me live up to the present time," he said.

"Probably because I have been eating food that’s rich in protein. It’s because of my knees. Sometimes my knees don’t allow me to go up without (using the) elevator," he added.

But later, Datumanong changed his mind after learning that the office of the DOJ secretary was located on the second floor, not on the third floor of the building as he initially thought.