Malacanang: PDEA chief 'resigned'

MALACAÑANG said Thursday that Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) chief Jose Gutierrez Jr. quit his post.

Presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said the Palace has not received any other reason why Gutierrez was replaced but only because he resigned from his post.

"That's correct. That's the information we received from the Office of the President. The details are not with us. I thought it was settled already that he resigned," Lacierda said.

President Benigno Aquino III has appointed Arturo Cacdac Jr., a retired deputy director general of the Philippine National Police (PNP), as new director general of PDEA.

Even until Cacdac was taking his oath Tuesday, Gutierrez insisted that he did not resign from his post.

Lacierda refused to confirm whether or not Gutierrez's removal has something to do with the results of the investigation of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) on alleged anomalies in PDEA.

Aquino earlier ordered NBI to verify the alleged anomalies in the agency as claimed by dismissed PDEA deputy director general Carlos Gadapan.

Gadapan, who was sacked by Aquino due to "loss of confidence," implicated Gutierrez in several anomalies, including alleged extortion from an alleged drug lord.

Lacierda said they were more "emphatic" on the reason why Gadapan was sacked than the reason why Gutierrez was replaced.

Asked about the marching orders of Aquino on the new PDEA chief, Lacierda said: "Well, the marching orders are simple: To perform the task mandated by that office. To perform it and to ensure that we're able to enforce the anti-drugs, anti-drug trafficking in this country."

"It's very basic that one who assumes office with respect to the drug enforcement agency should perform those tasks to ensure that drug-trafficking is eliminated in this country," he added.

Cacdac, a member of the Philippine Military Academy Class of 1978, had a long, colorful and distinguished career as a decorated police officer.

His positions in the uniformed service reflect the trust and confidence in his leadership and capability to accomplish the mission. Most notable of these were: deputy chief PNP for Operations and concurrent commander of the PNP Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Force (AIDSOTF); and finally as PNP's deputy chief for Administration before retiring.

He also served as director of the Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management, and regional director of Police Regional Office 3 (Central Luzon). He was also chief of the PNP Crime Laboratory Office and Chief of the Firearms and Explosives Office of the Civil Service Group (CSG).

"One of my priorities upon assuming the helm of PDEA's leadership, is to coordinate with other drug law enforcement agencies such as the National Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Customs, the PNP and even the Armed Forces of the Philippines, to unify efforts in battling the drug menace," Cacdac said.

"We need to help each other. What I feel is the need for a holistic approach to counter the drug problem. We need more consultations, coordination and cooperation to find solutions to problems related to drugs," the new PDEA chief added. (Jill Beltran/SDR/Sunnex)