Acting DOJ Chief Alberto Agra
replies to PCIJ queries

At 10:41 p.m. Monday, 26 April 2010, Acting Justice Secretary Alberto C. Agra finally responded to questions mailed by the PCIJ. What follows is the full text of his reply.

Last Thursday, the PCIJ first contacted Atty Agra to request a face-to-face interview. He said we should call the next day, and we did, to fix the date, time and venue. He changed his mind and said we should just send him the questions via email. He assured us he would mail back his reply by Sunday.

On Monday, the PCIJ reminded him about his reply and he guaranteed it would be ready by noon. As of the close of office hours Monday, it had not arrived. At 10:41 p.m. yesterday, he texted to say he had mailed this reply.

PCIJ: Has your daughter been getting any support, financial or otherwise, from the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office, the Philippine Amusements and Gaming Corporation or any government agency or government-owned and controlled corporation for her tennis career? Did your sudden decision to leave the LP-Drilon wing in March 2006 have anything to do with the assistance your daughter was allegedly getting from government agencies?

Secretary Alberto Agra: My daughter Jessica Marie Lim Agra was a top-ranked junior tennis player here and abroad. She was in the top 300 in the world in the amateur/ juniors girls category by the International Tennis Federation. She was ranked No. 1 in the 18, 16, 14 and 12 age categories in the Philippines by the Philippine Tennis Association. She is a first year college student now in Sta. Clara University, San Francisco, U.S.A. under a full athletic scholarship.

When the PSC was giving allowances to top-ranked junior tennis players, my daughter was one of those who were fortunate to avail of this government assistance. She also received a grant for her international trips from the Presidential Social Fund.

Obviously, I had nothing to do with the benefits that my daughter was able to get from the government as she was able to do so on her own merits as a top-seeded tennis player.

Like all lawyers, I have the liberty to choose my clients. I chose to end my ties with LP. My lawyering and clientele-base are totally independent of the achievements of my daughter as an athlete over the past 12 years.

PCIJ: You cofounded Saligan, an alternative lawyer’s group that extends free legal assistance to the poor and marginalized. Why the sudden shift from public interest lawyering to lawyering for the Arroyo administration?

Agra: There was no sudden shift. My lawyering for this Administration is still public interest lawyering in the broad sense.

The 1991 Local Government Code has provisions that affect marginalized sectors and encourage people’s participation in local governance. When this Code took effect in 1992, Saligan drew up education modules to inform the concerned sectors of the various modes of people’s participation.

Modesty aside, I became recognized in the legal and academic community for my knowledge in this field of local governance. I started teaching this subject in 1991 and continue to teach this subject at the Ateneo Law School. When I left Saligan in 1994, I shifted my focus of public interest lawyering to policy formulation and governance. I became the Executive Director of two policy institutes, namely, the National Institute for Policy Studies and Institute for Public Governance.

I then became involved in electoral work and elections. I was the former Executive Director of the Liberal Party and started my election law practice in 1995. I started teaching Election Law at the Ateneo Law School. I became the lawyer of the administration slate K4 in 2004 and became the lawyer, together with Atty. Romy Macalintal, for the President in the national canvassing of 2004. I assumed my first government post in March 2007 as Government Corporate Counsel.

I have been teaching Law on Public/Government Corporations at the Ateneo Law School since 1993. I believe I was appointed to these positions on the strength of credentials and expertise in these fields.

PCIJ: In 1988, you reportedly admitted to cheating in your Wills and Succession examination at the Ateneo de Manila School of Law. This was reportedly the reason why you did not graduate on time. Is this true? Do you think this allegation would have any bearing on your credibility as the acting Secretary of Justice?

Agra: What I actually admitted to was that I had been charged, albeit maliciously, with cheating by my professor, Atty. Avelino Sebastian. The Disciplinary Committee created to investigate the charge exonerated me together with my other classmates.

I only graduated in 1990 when I should have in 1989 because I did not pass that subject. I repeated the course and completed my requirements in October 1989.

I believe that failure in that subject does not mean that I am a failure as a person or lawyer. Failing in one subject does not define me as a person. No one should be defined and judged this way.

The Ateneo Law School apparently gave no weight to this failure because it has engaged my services as professor/lecturer in the college since 1993. To this very day, I continue to teach. I started with one subject. There were semesters where I handle 2 or 3 subjects.

For those who want to continue learning from me, I can always give lectures and seminars. I will continue to pursue my teaching vocation and passion for imparting what I know in the Ateneo or elsewhere.– PCIJ, April 2010