The Department of Justice on Monday affirmed support for the Marcos administration’s justice priorities while urging caution on disclosing details of ongoing investigations, including those possibly linked to the drug war.
Justice Assistant Secretary and spokesman Atty. Mico Clavano said before President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. was to deliver his fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA), “Anyone wants to hear the game plan and strategy for the remaining three years of the administration. The DOJ has always been and will always be supportive of this administration.”
The DOJ official said the department looks forward to hearing the President’s “guiding ideas” for the justice sector in the remainder of his term.
Asked whether President Marcos mentioned ongoing drug-related investigations, Clavano said the DOJ is being very careful about public disclosures.
Clavano, on illegal online gambling, said the DOJ’s task is to enforce the law based on the legal framework set by the executive.
He said, “Our role is to implement the law. So whatever the legal framework is, that is what we will work within. If the President says this zone is legal or illegal, we will implement that directive.”
Clavano recalled how the DOJ swiftly acted when the President ordered a ban on Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) last year. “We formed the PWD (Presidential Working Group on Digital Gambling) with all stakeholders to implement the President’s directive,” he said.
Asked if the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) is now involved in pursuing drug war suspects, Clavano said he had no specific information but acknowledged the importance of international cooperation.
Clavano said, “We’re always coordinating with Interpol because it’s a very important mechanism that we have to take advantage of.”