(Eagle News) — The Department of Justice on Thursday, Dec. 20, dismissed as “unfounded” claims Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra had a conflict of interest in the Kazuo Okada case.
The DOJ’s National Prosecution Service recently found probable cause to indict Okada of the charge of estafa, which had been filed by the Tiger Resort Leisure and Entertainment Inc. where Guevarra’s son works as an associate director for risk management.
According to DOJ spokesperson Markk Perete, in the first place, the NPS was “independent” of the Office of the Justice Secretary, and its resolution in the Okada case was arrived at by the prosecutor handling the case “without the intervention or influence” of Guevarra.
Secondly, Perete said “as early as May this year, when a related case involving Mr. Okada reached the (DOJ), the Secretary called a meeting to personally inform the parties that his son was being engaged by Tiger Resorts.”
Perete said Tiger offered the Justice secretary’s son the associate director position in December 2017.
Guevarra, he said, was appointed at the helm of the DOJ only on April 5, 2018, after the resignation of then-Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre.
Perete said the meeting took place on June 27, with both the counsels for Tiger and Okada in attendance.
According to Perete, Guevarra “informed both parties that his son applied for a managerial position at Tiger Resorts sometime in November 2017,” but that this would “have no bearing in the resolution of their cases,” as they would be resolved with “utmost impartiality.”
“This assurance the Secretary reiterates today…,” Perete said, noting that Guevarra and his son have not discussed the cases “in any way.”
In any case, Perete said since the NPS resolution can be appealed before the Office of the Justice Secretary, he said Guevarra has asked his son to “seriously consider resigning” from Tiger Resorts.
Quoting Guevarra, Perete said the justice secretary would “completely inhibit from resolving these cases” should his son, however, find no reason to resign.
“((Guevarra) may likewise consider, as any father would, tendering his resignation as Secretary of Justice,” Perete said.
