After saying bye to Porsche, Aquino gains adversarial bishop's nod

After letting go of his expensive sports car, President Benigno Simeon Aquino III garnered the praise of one of his most vocal critics — retired Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz. In an interview over radio dwIZ, Cruz praised Aquino for heeding calls to get rid of his "third-hand" Porsche 911 Turbo sports car. (Porsche is pronounced POR-sha)

"Mabuti yan sapagka't headache niya, sakit ng ulo niya ang Porsche na yan," Cruz said. Cruz reminded Aquino about the virtue of propriety, saying buying an expensive item even with one's own money is not necessarily right. Cruz said this is especially true if one is a president whom Filipinos look up to. "Mula't simula hindi naman komo't pera mo binili mo areglado na lahat, lalo na kung ikaw ay pangulo, ikaw ay huwaran, ikaw ay tinitingala ng mamamayan," he said. "Hindi bale kung tayo ay talagang masaganang masagana at maunlad na maunlad, siguro walang kwenta isa o dalawang Porsche, ano ba naman yan, pero siguro it must be imprudent for him to have bought that," he added. "Third-hand Porsche" In January, Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda confirmed that Aquino purchased a 2007 model Porsche but emphasized that the president used his personal funds for the purchase. A source close to Aquino said the president sold the blue BMW he bought when he was still a senator and finished paying for in 2010. He then reportedly used the money from the sale to buy the Porsche for P4.5 million. "How the president spends his personal funds is entirely his own discretion and I think that should not be used to sow intrigue. If there's anybody planning to do that, let's respect the president's private transactions," Lacierda said. In March, Aquino's satisfaction ratings dipped, according to a survey by Social Weather Stations (SWS). According to the SWS survey, nearly half or 48 percent said Aquino's purchase of a Porsche sports car last year was not a good example for the chief executive of a country like the Philippines. On Tuesday, Aquino said he decided to part with his Porsche, citing unnecessary risk to the Presidential Security Group, which is tasked to protect him. Aquino did not disclose the identity of the buyer. "I hope that’s the last question on the car that’s no longer in my possession," he said. - VVP/HS, GMA News