FIGHTING corruption and prosecution of drug-related cases are the priorities of Department of Justice (DOJ) under the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte, Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II told prosecutors in Mindanao during a gathering in Cagayan de Oro City on Friday.
Speaking to reporters during a press conference, Aguirre said prosecutors on the ground should focus on cases involving drug personalities.
To realize the theme “Prosecutors as catalyst for change towards a crime-free Philippines,” Aguirre has reminded prosecutors not to fall prey to temptations.
“Don’t let yourself be corrupted as prosecutor. Just do your job,” he said.
As there are drug cases that will eat up the time and resources of the prosecution service, but he said prosecutors must sustain its efforts to ensure that the anti-narcotics campaign of the Duterte government will not falter.
Aguirre said he has also issued a department order that requires the random drug testing of prosecutors to determine who among them are involved in illegal drugs either as user or as protector.
He said catching and punishing corrupt prosecutors is a huge challenge of the DOJ chief.
“It’s very hard for the Justice secretary to go after corrupt prosecutors than to fight the illegal drug trade. They are on the frontline and if they commit corruption, it will taint the name of the department, in the way the government is run, in the way the DOJ is being perceived by the people,” Aguirre said.
During his speech, Aguirre has assured the prosecutors in Mindanao the DOJ will provide them with their needs, primarily on office supplies such as computers and other equipment.
For his part, Regional Prosecutor for Northern Mindanao Jaime Umpa said this was the first time that the Justice Secretary sat down with the prosecutors from all over Mindanao.
Before, the DOJ leadership will just meet the regional prosecution chiefs but this time other prosecutors will be given a chance to talk with Aguirre.
“He is hands-on and he is willing to listen to us. When he invited him the Secretary readily accepted the invitation,” Umpa said.
During the conference, Umpa said the various RPOs presented their accomplishments in 2015.