Palace assures archbishop: We work for justice, not vendetta

Malacañang on Saturday reassured Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas it is working for justice and not political vendetta in going after the “wrongdoings" of its predecessor. Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said governance is not just running the daily affairs of government, but also looking for “accountability" if there is wrongdoing. “Ang governance hindi lang pagpapatakbo ng pamahalaan pero paghanap ng accountability kung may pagkakamali. Ang paghahanap ng accountability hindi para sa paghihiganti kundi para sa hustisya," she said on government-run dzRB radio. Last Thursday, Villegas warned President Benigno Aquino III against going after “previous wrongdoings" out of vendetta, lest he divide the nation further. Villegas is the incoming vice president of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP). He will assume his post on December 1. He was a protégé of the late Manila Archbishop Jaime Cardinal Sin, who was perceived to be close to Aquino’s late mother Corazon "Cory." “Prosecution for previous wrongdoings must be carried out to the full but such must be done in pursuit of justice not revenge. Political vendetta divides even more," Villegas said at a speech before a Rotary Club meeting in Dagupan City last Thursday. He stressed leadership must “embrace and unite" and not “alienate and divide." — LBG, GMA News