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De Lima to Palace critics: Resignation row closed issue


Insisting the matter is already closed, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima appealed to government's critics Friday to stop speculations and insinuations that she is resigning from the Aquino Cabinet. De Lima said she and President Benigno Aquino III already cleared up their differences of opinion on the government report on the Aug. 23 Manila hostage tragedy. "Sana huwag namg i-pursue ang haka-haka. Nagsalita na ako, nagsalita na si President Noy. Sana closed na ang issue na yan (I hope our critics no longer pursue such speculations. The President and I have already spoken on the matter. The issue should have been closed)," she said in an interview on dzBB radio. Speculations about De Lima's plans to leave the Cabinet stemmed from her admission to media earlier this week that resigning had crossed her mind. (See: DOJ chief says stepping down is an option) The speculations stemmed from a Palace-level review of the report on the hostage crisis probe submitted by the Incident Investigation and Review Committee (IIRC) chaired by De Lima. Many changes were made to the IIRC report by the Malacañang review headed by Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. and chief presidential legal counsel Eduardo de Mesa. Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile even joined the fray, telling De Lima on Wednesday to quit if she can't "quietly" solve her supposed policy differences with President Aquino. "Don't bring your issue before the people... bring it first to your boss, unless you are ready to quit," Enrile said. (See: Enrile to De Lima: Quit or keep quiet) Not quitting But De Lima said she has made up her mind to stay in the Cabinet, even after admitting the thought of resigning had crossed her mind. "Resigning crossed my mind but after much reflection I thought a minor difference of opinion was not enough basis to quit," she said in Filipino. She added she fully supports and remains committed to President Aquino's reform agenda, and that the Justice Department has much to do to deliver justice. She said the DOJ still has to bring closure to high-profile cases such as the Nov. 23, 2009, Maguindanao massacre, which she called the case of the century. Also, she said the DOJ has to handle the case of the Morong 43, gang-rape cases, and cases of tax evasion and smuggling as well as drugs and extra-judicial killings. "I realized I have a job to do and I cannot let a difference of opinion in one case sidetrack my work," she added. Text from Aquino De Lima said that right after her press conference where she admitted considering resignation, Aquino sent her a text message asking her if she indeed was mulling quitting. "I admitted resignation crossed my mind, but I told him it will be my personal call. I also said a difference of opinion is not enough basis for me to leave. He texted back and said he still has trust in me," she said. She said that during a press conference in Malacañang Thursday, she felt Aquino still has trust and confidence in her. "Meron siyang ilan pang additional assignments na binibigay sa akin (He is going to give me some additional assignments)," she said. — LBG/RSJ, GMANews.TV

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