Palace: De Lima fiasco on Arroyo departure no big deal

The fiasco involving Justice Secretary Leila de Lima’s statement questioning former First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo’s departure for Hong Kong was no big deal, Malacañang insisted Saturday. Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte also said De Lima’s eventual apology to Arroyo’s camp showed the administration has nothing personal against the former First Gentleman. Valte also insisted the “misinformation" that supposedly led De Lima to make her initial statement that Arroyo did not follow immigration procedures will not happen at President Benigno Aquino III’s level. “I think it’s no skin off her nose to apologize. Kapag may nagkakamaling medyo mataas na official nag-apologize, taken aback tayo and it’s not normal. Nag-apologize, it only goes to show trabaho ito hindi personal. Walang pamemersonal na nangyayari sa prosesong ito," she said on government-run dzRB radio. Last Friday afternoon, De Lima apologized to the former First Gentleman for her claim that he did not go through the usual immigration process when he left for Hong Kong last Sunday. The Bureau of Immigration (BI) informed her that Atty. Arroyo indeed lined up at the Immigration counter before leaving the country. Earlier on Friday, she said Atty. Arroyo’s departure record could not be found and that he had someone else facilitate the processing of his Immigration documents. “Having verified from the BI... that indeed former FG Mike Arroyo went through the Immigration counter, I humbly apologize to him, on behalf of the BI for apparently giving me an erroneous info... and/or for committing certain lapses," she said. Valte said De Lima is now asking immigration officers what happened and why she was given the wrong information. “Mali ang information talaga na naibigay sa kanya at may tiwala siya sa subordinates niya. Now she is asking certain immigration officers ano nangyari bakit mali ang information na pinaakyat sa kanya," she said. In the meantime, Valte said what happened to De Lima is not likely to happen in the Palace, where she said information is double-checked, and even “triple-checked." “Meron kasing kasamahan tayo sa pamahalaan nagbi-vet ng information given to the president. Kahit ang information o data na ginagamit ng pangulo sa talumpati, dalawa o tatlong beses bine-vet yan bago maibigay sa Pangulong Aquino... Madalas, hanggang triple check," she said. — LBG, GMA News