Since Malacañang has denied having a hand in the recent junking of multiple murder charges against two members of the Ampatuan Clan implicated in the Maguindanao Massacre, the Liberal Party (LP) Sunday challenged President Arroyo to reverse the controversial decision of the justice department.

LP chairman and former Senate President Franklin Drilon challenged President Arroyo to reverse the order penned by Acting Justice Secretary Alberto Agra to dispel public suspicions that she herself was setting up a whitewash of the case.

A former justice secretary himself, Drilon said that under the Constitution, Agra was a mere alter ego of the President and as such, she exercises direct supervision and control over the justice secretary.

“Under existing procedures, the President can review and reverse decisions made by the justice secretary in cases involving heinous crimes,” Drilon said. “I challenge President Arroyo to reverse and set aside the controversial decision of Secretary Agra that has triggered so much public outrage in order to dispel public suspicions that she was the one who directed Agra to clear Zaldy and Akmad  Ampatuan.”

Drilon, who is seeking reelection on May 10, claimed the President’s refusal to reverse Agra’s resolution would only “give credence to the prevailing public belief that Secretary Agra only did what he was ordered to do by the President.”

“That supervision and control over her Cabinet members include the authority to review and reverse the decisions made by her subordinate. I urge the President to exercise that authority if only to dispel the belief that her administration will soon whitewash the case in favor of the Ampatuans,” he urged.

Earlier, Drilon urged Department of Justice prosecutors to disown Agra’s order dropping the murder raps against Zaldy and Akmad for being “unjust and grossly erroneous.” Agra’s controversial decision drew public outrage especially from the media sector since no less than 30 journalists were killed in the Nov. 23, 2009 Maguindanao Massacre.

It was also recalled that Malacañang said President Arroyo remained supportive of Agra despite his decision to drop murder charges against Zaldy Ampatuan, the suspended governor of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, and his cousin Akmad Ampatuan, the former acting vice  governor of Maguindanao Province.

Presidential spokesman Gary Olivar acknowledged that the controversial decision had some political cost on the President, but maintained that, “the primary consideration is still what the law allows and requires you to do.”