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Prosecuting Arroyo not a priority - Teodoro


Prosecuting President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo will not be among the top priorities of Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. if ever he wins the presidency in next year’s national elections. “Involvement in prosecuting a former president definitely is not a priority. I am saying this now, point blank, it will not be a priority of my administration," Teodoro said in an interview on QTV’s “News on Q." Teodoro, a former congressman, made the categorical statement hours after the administration party Lakas-Kampi-CMD picked him as its standard-bearer in the May 2010 elections. He said it would be improper for him to intervene in prosecuting Mrs. Arroyo since it is beyond the power of the president. “There are proper institutions of government to handle that. Once any president involves himself or herself in the prosecution… that’s not justice. That’s vengeance. Let the justice system work," he said.
Teodoro said there are more important things to accomplish in 2010 other than going after Mrs. Arroyo, whose administration is linked to several anomalies including the botched multimillion dollar national broadband contract with Chinese firm ZTE Corporation and the alleged maneuverings in the 2004 elections. He said he is more concerned about moving the country forward. “Right now, the more important thing is we have to move forward. We cannot use the issue of alleged corruption as a convenient political tool," Teodoro said. Noting his lackluster performance in various presidential surveys, Teodoro said he is relying on his party to boost his popularity in the coming elections. “That’s a function of party unity and party discipline. That’s where the party comes in," he said. In Pulse Asia’s latest survey, Teodoro ranked 13th among 15 prospective presidential candidates. This early however, doubts are being cast on Teodoro’s “legality" as the administration’s presidential bet. “The presidential candidate of the ruling party or the administration forces will be subject to question because the merger is subject to question," said Pangasinan Rep. Jose de Venecia Jr., a former Arroyo ally. De Venecia, who co-founded of Lakas-Christian-Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD), last July asked the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to nullify what he perceived as the illegal unification of his party with Mrs. Arroyo's Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino (Kampi). Apart from asking for the cancellation of the merger, De Venecia also asked the Comelec to nullify the designation of Mrs. Arroyo as chairman of the merged party, as well as the appointment of all of the party’s interim officers. De Venecia said the merger was against the charter of Lakas-CMD since no national convention was convened prior to the decision to the merger. “Thus, the Lakas-CMD must be dissociated from Kampi, including the resulting merger since such a political marriage makes the constitutional breach of one party the act of another," De Venecia’s 20-page petition read. The Comelec has set September 17 as the first and only day that the poll body would be hearing the complaint. - with Aie Balagtas See, GMANews.TV

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