Palace ready to take on 'damaging' issues to be exposed by opposition

Malacañang is prepared to take on the ‘damaging’ issues the political opposition will be throwing against it. "We are prepared to hold ourselves accountable to our people. We are committed to openness and transparency in the government," Herminio Coloma, head of the Presidential Communications Operations Office, told reporters Friday. "Ihayag lang po nila, ilahad nila kung ano ang gustong ilahad at susuriin namin, tutugunan namin sa tamang paraan," he added. Coloma was reacting to the pronouncement by House Deputy Minority Leader Danilo Suarez on Thursday that they are set to expose three "damaging" issues concerning the administration of President Simeon Benigno Aquino III. Suarez said the revelations will be made in response to the supposedly "vindictive" offensive being launched by the Aquino administration against allies of former President and incumbent Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. But Coloma said it is better to make public the issues in order to discuss it openly. "Kung gagamitin natin yun term na frontal attack, ang ibig sabihin niyan sa wikang Filipino e harapan at sa ating mga Filipino mas OK talaga yung harapan. Na magkakaharap tayong nagtatalakayan because this is healthy in a democracy," he said. He added that as government, "we are committed to be accountable to the people including the other political parties or sectors." "We would welcome yung mga criticism nila. Sana lang ay these should be based on facts, these would be issue-oriented and not personality-oriented," Coloma further said. Asked if Malacañang is threatened with the statement of the opposition bloc, he said it is not. "Ginagalang din naman po natin ang ating mga political leader from where Representative Suarez comes from. Yung ibang mga political parties that are not with the administration, iginagalang natin sila and we expect them to do their duty in a democratic manner,"Coloma said. — Amita Legaspi/RSJ, GMA News