Palace hits Noynoy for ‘belittling due process’ that cleared Arroyo

Malacañang on Tuesday hit presidential aspirant Sen. Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III for belittling the investigative and judicial processes that absolved President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo from accusations of graft and other anomalies that were hurled against her. In a press briefing, deputy presidential spokesperson Gary Olivar said the Palace was “dismayed" that for Aquino, the only outcome of the investigation should be the prosecution of Mrs. Arroyo. Olivar said that such complaints have already been addressed before the proper courts, the Senate, and even before the media. Some of the charges were dismissed due to the lack of substance, he added, and yet still used by aspiring presidential and vice presidential candidates to prop up their image. "That (which) seems to be mere technicality to one man might be valued by others as indispensable due process that protects us from the commission of injustice. And what may appear to him as a crusade against evil might be described by others as nothing but a lynching mob," he said. Olivar was commenting on Aquino's statement that in case he is elected as President, he would form a commission that would probe the President’s alleged irregularities and ensure that "mere technicalities" would not hinder the wheels of justice from rolling against her. (See: Noynoy wants commission to resolve Arroyo controversies formed) The anomalies that Aquino said should be probed were the “Hello Garci" election-rigging scandal, the P728-million fertilizer fund scam, and the botched ZTE Corp. – national broadband network deal. The Liberal Party standard bearer also noted the absence of a committee report on the Senate investigation into the alleged involvement of First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo and several government officials in a jueteng (numbers game) payola scandal in 2005. The First Gentleman has since denied the allegation. As sitting president, Mrs. Arroyo is immune from legal suits. At the same time, her Lower House allies have repeatedly blocked successive impeachment complaints against her. "Justice has had its due—maybe not their version of it, but justice nonetheless. And so the way is wide open for the next president, whoever he or she may be, to stop campaigning and become presidential," he said.—Aie Balagtas See/JV, GMANews.TV