EDITORIAL – Nani’s choices

You can’t expect the President of the Philippines to fire a Cabinet member simply because it is demanded by a man wanted in the United States for tax evasion, mail fraud and illegal campaign contributions. Especially if the man can’t keep his mouth shut about a promise supposedly given him by President Arroyo.

On the other hand, a President with falling survey ratings and hounded by corruption scandals has very little to lose and everything to gain if she lets go of the Cabinet member who – deservedly or not – has become the most associated with venality in this administration. Justice Secretary Hernando Perez has of course denied all the accusations thrown his way, most recently by Manila Rep. Mark Jime-nez. But because of the government’s reluctance to verify the charges even after Jimenez had provided strong leads on a purported money trail, the public perception is that at the very least, some of the congressman’s accusations are true.

The allegations are damning particularly because the person who stands accused is involved in the administration of justice. Even before this corruption scandal erupted, Filipinos already had such a low regard for the criminal justice system. The unresolved accusations against Perez can only aggravate this problem. If you can’t trust the secretary of justice, how can you expect to get justice in this country?

For sure Perez deserves to be heard so he can clear his name conclusively. It’s not unlikely that he will one day vindicate himself. That day, however, could be too far away for an administration with an urgent need to prove that it stands for good, clean governance. Perez has become a liability to this administration. He himself should be able to see this – from the pronouncements of Malacañang and the President herself.

The President has replaced members of her official family for lesser offenses, real or imagined. In Perez’s case she couldn’t even wait till after Christmas Day; she announced yesterday that Perez’s leave, supposedly voluntary, would be extended by another month. Perez, who had announced he would return to work as scheduled tomorrow, should be able to see the handwriting on the wall. He can do what another Cabinet member, Raul Roco, did upon learning that he was being investigated by the Presidential Anti-Graft Commission: Roco quit as secretary of education. Or Perez can wait to be fired.