Somebody sowing intrigue within DOJ - Baraan

DAGUPAN City, Philippines – Department of Justice (DOJ) Undersecretary Francisco Baraan yesterday said somebody within the department is sowing intrigue by coming out with erroneous reports on the appointment of two new Justice undersecretaries.

Baraan told local newsmen here that the media was “deliberately fed with wrong information.”

This, after The STAR came out with a story on Sunday that Leah Tanodra-Armamento and Ian Norman Dato were appointed as new Justice undersecretaries.

Baraan clarified that President Aquino re-appointed Undersecretary Jose Vicente Salazar and himself on Aug. 11, then added Armamento to take the post of Dato who was a midnight appointee of former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

“It’s impossible that Malacañang appointed Dato because he was actually replaced by Armamento,” he said.

Baraan added that Dato went on a one-year study leave when the President issued an executive order on midnight appointees.

“Technically and legally, his (Dato’s) appointment is void, he has really no appointment to speak of in the first place,” he said.

He said what is surprising with the news report was that it gave so much emphasis on Dato, who was allegedly tapped as head of Task Force 211 on political and media killings. – Sandy Araneta