Cadiz denies Palace pressure for him to resign

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

LAWYER Jose Anselmo Cadiz brushed aside speculations that he resigned as solicitor general over the weekend on speculations that he failed to defend the interests of President Benigno Aquino III's family in the sprawling Hacienda Luisita in Tarlac.

Cadiz, whose resignation was announced by Aquino on Monday, said that the case has nothing to do with his departure from the Office of the Solicitor General, which serves as the law firm that defends policies of the Philippine government.

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"None, whatsoever," he told Sun.Star in a text message.

Last November, the Supreme Court headed by Chief Justice Renato Corona ordered the distribution of 4,915 hectares of the estate to the 6,296 farm worker-beneficiaries and for the Hacienda Luisita Incorporated (HLI) to pay them P1.3 billion.

Aquino was allegedly berated by his maternal relatives, the Cojuangcos, for failing to keep the land and that he is using the impeachment case against Corona as a ploy to regain the estate.

Besides the legal setback over ownership of the hacienda, the former solicitor general lost the wine tax dispute last year before the World Trade Organization (WTO), which found the Philippines' excise tax on imported alcohol as extremely high and unfair to American and European distillers.

Under Cadiz's watch, the government also failed to gain the nod of the High Court justices on the Truth Commission that seeks to investigate the supposed sins of the previous Arroyo government.

Dismissing all of these as rumors, Cadiz said he had determined that he would be in government service for a limited time, which was echoed by Aquino in an interview on Monday.

"Government service doesn't pay that well and has a lot of negatives associated with it. You’re criticized for doing something, for not doing something...," the President said.

But it is not just about the criticism, Cadiz said, as he is looking forward to go back to private practice. A former president of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP), Cadiz was known for helping overstaying prisoners from 21 provincial and city jails all over the country attain their freedom.

For now, Cadiz said he wanted to spare more time with his family.

"Yes, we'll go on a vacation this summer," Cadiz, a father of three, said. (Virgil Lopez/Sunnex)