Domogan eyed as Gonzalez replacement

BAGUIO CITY — Rep. Mauricio G. Domogan (lone district, Baguio) said a reported move by some of his colleagues in the House of Representatives for him to replace embattled Justice Secretary Raul M. Gonzalez will not prosper.

Gonzalez is under fire amidst allegations of a P50-million bribery at the Department of Justice in connection with the release of three suspected drug dealers, known as the "Alabang Boys."

"I think that the move would not prosper because Secretary Gonzalez is religiously doing his job. It just happened that the alleged bribery was exposed, but it should not be the primary reason to kick him out of office. He (Gonzalez) has performed well in handling the department," Domogan said.

Earlier, Parañaque City Rep. Roilo Golez said Domogan is the perfect person to replace Secretary Gonzalez so that he could put things in order at the DoJ.

If Malacañang pushes through with the move to replace Gonzalez and selecting him as his successor, Domogan said, he would study the matter, considering that he is now in his third term as Baguio’s representative at the Lower House.

On the bribery scandal and the release of the "Alabang Boys," the lawmaker said there is a need to get to the bottom of the issue through an independent fact-finding probe so that the Secretary of Justice and the President would be guided in deciding what action would be taken against those who were involved.

Domogan also said the task of a Cabinet secretary is a heavy burden to carry, and so there is a need to consider the matter seriously.

Before entering politics in 1987, Domogan was a known labor and human rights lawyer in the Cordillera.

He was later elected as a member of the Baguio City council in December 1987 elections a few months after the 1986 EDSA Revolution.
In the 1992 elections, he was overwhelmingly chosen as the city’s vice mayor. He took over as city mayor in 1993 when Ramon "Jun" Labo Jr., the elected city mayor, was disqualified because he was not a Filipino citizen.

He was reelected twice as the city’s chief executive before he won a congressional seat in 2001.

Domogan said there are other people who are more qualified to occupy the post of justice secretary if Malacañang so decides to replace him.

He said he is not considering himself as one of the candidates for the position.

He appealed to his colleges in Congress to continue to focus on their work as legislators by passing important bills and stop the political bickering so the country could move forward in terms of economic development.