Arroyo not keen on disputing SONA claims — spokesperson

(Updated 3:07 p.m.) Former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is not keen on personally countering the allegations hurled at her by her successor President Benigno Simeon Aquino III in his State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday. Elena Bautista-Horn, Arroyo’s spokesperson and former head of the Presidential Management Staff, said Tuesday the former president feels a congressional probe is the proper forum for her to air her side about the alleged anomalies. "Hindi na nga siya kailangang sumagot. Kahit ako, the minute after the SONA ended, I can answer each and every point without doing my research e, mas bright sa akin si ma’am. Kung kaya ko sagutin mas kaya niya pero since nasagot na namin di na niya kailangan sumagot (She need not answer the allegations personally. The minute after the SONA ended I was already ready to answer each and every point. Mrs. Arroyo brighter than I am. So if I can answer the claims, she can do so much better. But since I already answered the points, there is no need for her to speak up)," Horn said in an interview on dwIZ radio. In an interview on GMA News’ Unang Hirit, Horn belied claims during the SONA that the previous administration had drained government coffers.
For the latest Philippine news stories and videos, visit GMANews.TV "Siguro mali lang yung tiningnan nilang ahensya kung saan nanggaling ang datos nila (Maybe President Aquino’s group get their data for the SONA from one agency)," she said, adding that the government still has funds. "There is still money. All they need to do is to check on the website of the Bureau of Treasury. I had checked it myself and I confirmed that the actual disbursement of the previous administration from January to end-June this year was only P788.8 billion, or 51 percent of the General Appropriations Act approved last year," she said in Filipino. In his SONA, Aquino claimed several irregularities involving billions of pesos had occurred under Mrs. Arroyo’s nine-year watch. "Very much, we welcome that. We would prefer a formal investigation on all the allegations kesa pasaring ng pasaring sa media. Gusto namin evidence-based so we welcome this investigation (We would prefer a formal investigation on all the allegations instead of claims made through media. We want an evidence-based investigation so we welcome it)," Horn said. On the other hand, Horn advised Aquino and his advisers to refrain from making statements until they are sure of their figures. "We were provided the training pati sa Cabinet meeting, di kami nagbubukas ng bibig nang di namin alam ang aming sinasabi (We were trained in the Cabinet meetings not to open our mouths until we were sure of our data)," she said. Horn said Arroyo, who is currently with her husband Jose Miguel Arroyo in Hong Kong, has been informed about the details of Aquino’s SONA. Alleged Arroyo anomalies Asked about the P105 million calamity fund for Pampanga’s second district where Arroyo ran for congresswoman, Horn confirmed the amount was indeed given to the district. However, Horn denied allegations that the funds were used for Arroyo’s congressional campaign. "May P105 million na na-allot, totoo naman yan ... Pero di pa nadi-disburse ang pera, the money is intact. Huwag nila sabihing ginamit sa election (The allegations that P105 million went to one district of Pampanga is true. It was the second district. But the money has not yet been disbursed, it is intact. So they cannot say it was used for the election)," she said. She said on Unang Hirit that the special allocation release order (SARO) was issued only on May 27. “How can the money be used for election purposes?" About the government's calamity fund, Horn defended the use of a big chunk of the funds to repair the damage brought about by typhoons “Ondoy" (Ketsana) and “Pepeng" (Parma) in 2009. Horn said the reconstruction work would take P50 billion, much bigger than the P2 billion allotted each year for calamity funds. In 2009, Horn said Arroyo set aside P2.8 billion from the government's savings for calamity funds. “It’s a presidential prerogative." On the alleged anomaly in the allowances, bonuses, Christmas and grocery packages of the members of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) board, Horn said the agency has its own charter and board of trustees, which decides on the allowances based on its resolution and the availability of funds. On the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) fare, Horn said the rates are subsidized by the government, spending around P2.4 billion a year for around 500,000 daily passengers. "Diskarte yun ng dating Pangulong Arroyo. It is up to President Aquino to decide on his own strategy for the MRT rates," she said. Horn likewise questioned what she called the lack of details in Aquino’s SONA about the supposed rotting of rice imported during Arroyo’s term. “Make them factual ... Walang sinabi, sabi lang nabulok, walang gaanong detalye ibinigay. They have to prove their statement (Make them factual. He did not back his statements on rotting rice with details). Drained treasury On the allegation that the treasury has been drained of funds, Horn said the funds are still there although they have already been transferred to various departments. “Nailipat ang pera sa iba’t ibang departamento pero di pa siya nagagastos. So mali sabihin na bangkarote ang gobyernong aming pinamana sa kanila (The money was allotted to the various departments but it was not actually spent. So it is wrong to say we gave our successors a bankrupt government)," she said. Aquino had claimed that in the first six months of 2010, spending went up by P45.1 billion, the deficit went up to P196.7 billion, but collections fell short by P23.8 billion. PNoy can back up claims Despite Horn’s criticisms on the “lack of details" in Aquino’s first SONA, Malacañang said the President and his Cabinet can easily back up all the things he said in his speech. Manuel Quezon III of Malacañang's Communication Group, said in a television interview Monday that Aquino’s reports during the SONA were backed up by documents. "Wala naman silang pinasok na numero at mga alegasyon, kung tinatawag nga nilang alegasyon, na walang dokumentong magpapatunay dito. Maganda naman na nailalabas ito ni Secretary Horn at mapapaliwanag din naman ni Secretary (Florencio) Abad ang mga pinagsasabi ng Pangulo," he said in an interview on “Tonight with Arnold Clavio" on Monday night. Horn was also a guest in Clavio's show on Monday night. Quezon said the President just wanted to show the real state of the government’s budget in his first address before Congress. "Ang gustong ipakita ng Pangulo,… hindi natin narealize na sa halagang ito, maliit na halaga na lang ang pwedeng gamitin sa mga bagong project at sa expectations natin sa pamahalaan kaya nilinaw ito ng pangulo," he said. He added that Budget Secretary Abad will hold a press conference in the coming days to discuss the figures cited by Aquino in his SONA in full detail. HK picket vs Arroyo Members of a militant overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) group picketed Monday the Hong Kong hotel where Arroyo and her husband are staying. Horn claims, however that the former president was unfazed by the protest as she is a “statesman" and accepts the pickets as part of her “job." Reports said some 20 placard-bearing OFWs picketed the Four Seasons Hotel, whose security tried to disperse the protesters at first but later relented. “It goes with the job. The former president is a statesman. Alam niya kasama yan sa naging trabaho at trabaho sa ngayon (She knows such pickets are part of her work)," Horn said in an interview on dwIZ radio. Horn said she does not know when Arroyo will be returning to the Philippines, but claimed that there was no intention to snub Aquino's first SONA since the former president had to accompany her husband for a medical check-up in Hong Kong. — with Andreo Calonzo/LBG/ VVP/RSJ, GMANews.TV