Drilon defends Aquino vs resignation call

Administration ally Senator Franklin Drilon on Friday defended President Benigno Aquino III against a call for the chief executive's resignation over allegations of cronyism. In a statement on Friday, Drilon said he was "appalled" by the gall of Butuan Bishop Juan de Dios Pueblos, a known supporter of the Arroyo administration, for urging Aquino to quit. “Being an avid supporter of former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, Bishop Pueblos is the least credible person to ask for President Aquino’s resignation over unfounded allegations of cronyism," said the senator, who is also vice chairman of the Liberal Party, of which Aquino is the current chairman. Pueblos made the call after members of the minority bloc at the House of Representatives accused Aquino of cronyism for appointing close friends to key government posts. The lawmakers also urged their colleagues in the chamber to investigate anomalies involving some administration officials. “He is not really worthy to be a President. That job is not for him. The earlier he will be out of his post, will better for the Philippines," read a transcript of Pueblos' interview on radio Thursday, copies of which were given to reporters covering the Church beat. But Drilon said that Pueblos has no credibility to ask for Aquino's resignation on mere allegations because the bishop had stayed mum when several cases of alleged corruption sprouted during the Arroyo administration. “Where was Bishop Pueblos when President Arroyo appointed her manicurist and her gardener to important positions in government?" he said. “Where was Bishop Pueblos when the Catholic Church criticized Mrs. Arroyo for her extravagance when she and her cronies spent almost a million pesos on a single dinner in an expensive restaurant in New York during her 2009 USA trip?" he added. Drilon said that if Pueblos wants to stop the government reforms being pursued by the President, he should resign as bishop and “join the ranks of the pro-Arroyo opposition in the House." — GMA News