Aquino: DILG's Puno to undergo due process

Embattled Interior Undersecretary Rico Puno will undergo due process before President Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III decides whether to accept the resignation Puno is planning to file next week. Aquino made the statement at a press conference in Sofitel Hotel in New York where he is staying for a working visit after Puno announced that he will offer his resignation once the president returns to Manila on September 28. Puno, the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) undersecretary for peace and order, is one of the personalities the Incident Investigation and Review Committee (IIRC) recommended for sanctioning for the poor handling of the August 23 hostage situation that killed eight Chinese tourists from Hong Kong. Puno, a longtime friend and shooting buddy of Aquino, was also named by retired Lingayen-Dagupan archbishop Oscar Cruz as an alleged recipient of jueteng payola, along with retired National Police chief Jesus Verzosa. Both Puno and Verzosa have denied Cruz's allegation. At his press conference, Aquino reiterated that he had tasked Executive Secretary Paquito "Jojo" Ochoa Jr. and Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Eduardo de Mesa to review the IIRC's recommendations. "Magiging balewala naman po ang trabaho nila kung agaran, isang tao na ayon sa batas natin ay presumed innocent, kaagad sasabihin nating guilty. So, meron na pong proseso (Their work will be in vain if we instantly proclaim as guilty someone who is presumed to be innocent)," Aquino said. "Dapat naman ho kung kaya kong ibigay iyong proseso sa kalaban ay pati naman po iyong kaibigan at kakampi meron din proseso na pagdadaanan na hindi na lang kumbaga may humiling na bigtiin yan, binigti ko na kaagad. Hindi naman ho yata tama rin yun," he added. (If I can accord due process to my enemies, I should also accord due process to my friends and allies. I shouldn't hang a person just because someone requested it. That's not right.)

On the jueteng accusation against Puno, Aquino said: "Meron pong report, ngayon may allegation, kailangan pong mapatunayan one way or the other. At meron na po tayong itinalaga para suriin nga iyong kung may base o walang base itong mga akusasyon sa kanila." (There is a report, an allegation that should be proven one way or another. I have already tasked someone to investigate whether the accusations against them have basis)." Aquino reiterated that he has already tasked DILG Secretary Jesse Robredo to come up with a comprehensive plan to stamp out jueteng. The president said Puno's offer to resign was not surprising since Puno is not the type of person who is likely to cling to power by all means. "Normal naman po sigurong maasahan natin dun sa mga taong hindi kapit-tuko sa puwesto na iyong honor na po nila ang nakataya dito (It's normal to expect this of people who do not cling to their posts because their honor is at stake)," he said. Aquino has maintained a consistent stand against the proliferation and legalization of jueteng, saying he does not consider gambling a productive activity. — Jam Sisante/RSJ/LBG, GMANews.TV