黑料社

President Ferdinand 鈥淏ongbong鈥� Marcos Jr. on Friday rejected calls for the resignation of Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin 鈥淏oying鈥� Remulla following his son鈥檚 arrest on charges of drug possession early this week, saying the demand was baseless.

鈥淵ou call for somebody to resign if he鈥檚 not doing his job or that they have misbehaved in that job,鈥� the President told reporters on the sidelines of a Department of Science and Technology event in Pasay City.

Mr. Marcos said Remulla took the 鈥渧ery proper position鈥� of recusing himself from any involvement in his son鈥檚 case.

The justice secretary said in a handwritten statement on Thursday that he would 鈥渘ot intervene in nor influence鈥� any case filed against his 38-year-old son.

Remulla himself signaled that he would not voluntarily step down and would continue holding his post.

鈥淚 serve at the pleasure of the President and I think that鈥檚 the most important principle,鈥� he told SMNI 黑料社 Channel on Friday in his first media interview since his son鈥檚 arrest.

鈥淚 see this as a test to our family, to myself and in many ways a test to our country on how we handle a sensitive matter like this,鈥� he said. 鈥淚鈥檓 the head of the justice department and I will let justice take its course.鈥漅emulla鈥檚 son, Juanito Jose Diaz Remulla III, was arrested on Tuesday for alleged possession of over P1 million worth of kush, or high-grade marijuana.

The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) reported the arrest only two days later without any explanation for the delayed public disclosure that often quickly follows a high-profile drug bust.

The PDEA said the arrest was part of a 鈥渃ontrolled delivery鈥� operation in which an illegal drug shipment is monitored under supervision by an antinarcotics officer until the owner or the consignee takes possession of it.The justice secretary was then in Geneva, Switzerland, where he defended the bloody drug war of former President Rodrigo Duterte before members of the United Nations Human Rights Council.

After the arrest was disclosed on Thursday, calls for Remulla鈥檚 resignation immediately came out on social media from people demanding 鈥渄elicadeza,鈥� or propriety, on the part of the justice secretary, who exercises power and influence over the government prosecutors who will eventually handle his son鈥檚 case.

鈥淚t鈥檚 unacceptable to just pen a letter when, as the Justice Secretary, your son commits what has been painted as the most criminal act in the Philippines for the last six (and counting) years. Boying Remulla should resign,鈥� sociologist Athena Charanne Presto said on Twitter.

Mr. Marcos said the justice secretary was 鈥渁ware that he must allow the processes of the judiciary to work properly and that no one in the Executive should interfere.鈥�

The justice secretary also was supported by several lawmakers, including Sen. JV Ejercito.

Remulla served as assistant secretary at the Office of the President under then President Joseph Estrada, Ejercito鈥檚 father, and later as chief of staff of Sen. Loi Estrada, the former president鈥檚 wife.

鈥淜nowing Remulla for three decades, I know he will not tolerate this even if it鈥檚 his son who is involved,鈥� Ejercito told the Inquirer.

鈥楽别濒蹿-别惫颈诲别苍迟鈥�

According to Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian, the demand for Remulla鈥檚 resignation was 鈥渦ncalled for, unjust and without basis.鈥�

Public officials, he said, should 鈥渂e judged on their own merits, on their work performance and not on what other people (even if related to them) do.鈥�

Sen. Imee Marcos said Remulla鈥檚 statement on the incident was 鈥渟elf-evident.鈥�

鈥淚 need not say anything more,鈥� she said.

House dangerous drugs committee chair Rep. Robert Ace Barbers said there was no need for Congress to investigate the arrest of Remulla鈥檚 son.

鈥淚 pray for Secretary Remulla and his family, in the same manner that I do offer prayers as well to those other families who are in this predicament,鈥� Barbers said.

The justice secretary鈥檚 own political party, the National Unity Party (NUP), of which he is the vice chair, commended Remulla for 鈥減romptly assuring authorities鈥� that he won鈥檛 intervene for his son.

In a statement, the NUP said Remulla鈥檚 鈥減rofessionalism and love of country is unparalleled.鈥�

Opposition Rep. Edcel Lagman also said that as long as Remulla was not interfering in the investigation and prosecution of his son, there was no reason for him to step down.

鈥楧ouble standard鈥�

鈥淗owever, the Remulla family must explain why it took almost two days for them to reveal or disclose the capture and detention of the Remulla scion for the alleged importation of P1.3 million worth of kush or hybrid marijuana,鈥� Lagman said.

House Deputy Minority Leader Rep. France Castro, said there seemed to be a 鈥渃ertain amount of double standard鈥� in the handling of the drug charge against Remulla鈥檚 son compared to the cases filed against ex-Sen. Leila de Lima, who has been detained since February 2017 also on drug charges.

鈥淭he double standard becomes more glaring if we compare it with the thousands killed in the bogus drug war of the past administration,鈥� Castro said.

Like Lagman, she also asked why the arrest of Remulla鈥檚 son was made public only two days later.

Rumors that the son of a high-ranking official first circulated on social media on Wednesday.

Remulla said in his interview with SMNI that he learned about his son鈥檚 arrest in the early hours of Tuesday in Geneva, or around noon in Manila.

鈥淚 woke up before dawn on Tuesday and I was told something happened in the Philippines,鈥� he said.

鈥淚 only told one thing to my wife, to get a lawyer since that鈥檚 the only way to clear things. That鈥檚 the only thing I said,鈥� Remulla said. 鈥淚 said, get him a lawyer so he can defend himself. That鈥檚 a basic right鈥攖he right to be presumed innocent, [the right to a] lawyer.鈥� 鈥擶ITH REPORTS FROM MARLON RAMOS AND JULIE M. AURELIO INQ

READ: Some senators back Remulla despite quit calls over son鈥檚 link to kush import