Arroyo, others seek House probe on ‘errant’ Aquino officials

The opposition bloc at the House of Representatives on Thursday filed a resolution calling for an investigation on “errant" government officials allied with President Benigno Aquino III. A total of 34 minority lawmakers, including former President and incumbent Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, filed House Resolution 1419 urging the House committee on good government and public accountability to conduct an inquiry on Aquino’s close friends in the executive department. “There are not a few public officials in the Aquino Administration who fall under the dubious classification of Kaibigan, Kaklase at Kabarilan (KKK) who have run afoul of the law and/or have committed palpable and culpable malfeasance, misfeasance and nonfeasance," they said in the resolution. The members of the opposition bloc specifically proposed that Interior and Local Government Undersecretary Ricardo Puno, Land Transportation Office chief Virginia Torres, Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima and former Bureau of Corrections director Ernesto Diokno be the subjects of the investigation. They also recommended the “immediate" referral of the findings of the investigation to the Office of the Ombudsman, and the automatic suspension of these officials once appropriate charges are filed against them. Malacañang, meanwhile, appealed to other members of the House not to allow themselves be used for “character assassination." Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said the concerned officials have already explained their sides on the supposed anomalies being linked to them. He said Purisima had already explained the income tax return issue while Diokno, despite being Aquino’s friend, had already resigned following the alleged VIP treatment being given on some wealthy inmates at the New Bilibid Compound. In the case of Torres, he said a fact-finding body is already investigating the LTO-Stradcom issue while Puno had already been explained his side on accusations that he was among the government officials who bungled the August 2010 Manila hostage crisis, where eight foreign tourists were killed. Last week, House opposition members led by Minority Floor Leader Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman accused Aquino of cronyism for appointing close friends and shooting buddies in key government posts. - KBK, GMA News