Govt execs give conflicting statements on Arroyo mug shots

(Updated 7:10 p.m.) Whose statements should the public believe on the issue of the authenticity of supposed mug shots of former President and incumbent Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo that were leaked on the Internet? Two authorities – Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo and Southern Police District (SPD) officer-in-charge Sr. Supt. James Bucayu – on Tuesday gave conflicting statements on Arroyo’s supposed mug shots published in the Philippine Daily Inquirer on the same day. Mrs. Arroyo’s supposed mug shots are also now on the homepage of mugshots.com, a self-proclaimed “Google for Mug Shots." In a text message to GMA News Online, Robredo said the photos in the Inquirer are not the “real" mug shots after having verified this information with the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group. However, Bucayu, who spoke to the ABS-CBN News Channel, said the supposed mug shots were “leaked." “Nakita ko na po ‘yung mug shots galing sa Internet. Nagtataka kami sino nag-leak," Bucayu was quoted by the news channel’s official Twitter account, @ANCALERTS, as saying. In another text message, Robredo said Bucayu “is not authorized" to speak on the matter. He also emphasized, “[The] mug shots have [the] wrong booking number and incomplete [information]. [The] picture [is] not exactly accurate." The secretary said it is CIDG Senior Superintendent Joel Coronel who was tasked to administer Mrs. Arroyo’s booking, including the taking of mug shots. He is the designated police spokesman on the former Philippine leader's case, Robredo said. “He denies [the] PDI mug shots are real. [The] PNP will deal with Bucayu," Robredo added. For his part, PNP chief Director General Nicanor Bartolome clarified Bucayo's statements in an interview with reporters. "[Bucayu] only mentioned that it appeared to be similar," Bartolome said. The PNP, which Bucayu belongs to, falls under Robredo’s authority as secretary of the Department of Interior and Local Government. No sanctions yet An initial comparison shows that the mug shots in the Inquirer and those submitted to the Pasay Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 112 bear resemblances, said clerk of court Joel Pelicano in an interview with radio dzBB. “‘Yung mug shot na sinumite sa husgado at [lumabas sa] Inquirer ay kamukha. Ang kaiba ang sa ibaba ng litrato [na] nakasulat. [Nagkaibang] kaunti," Pelicano said. Meanwhile, Pelicano added that the court will not immediately sanction the Inquirer and some websites for publishing the former president’s supposed mug shots. He said the court will wait for Arroyo’s camp to file the appropriate motion before it could decide whether to impose sanctions or not. “Sa ngayon ang standing ng husgado, huwag i-release at huwag i-publish [ang mug shots]," Pelicano explained. Reactions to mug shots Mrs. Arroyo’s supposed mug shots have already generated a mix of reactions from netizens. One of Mrs. Arroyo’s lawyers, Ferdinand Topacio, expressed outrage that the former president’s mug shots were leaked to the media. “The former president does not deserve this and neither should an ordinary person be subjected to this because everyone is entitled to a presumption of innocence," Topacio said in an interview with GMA News. “Every person should be treated with dignity, be they former presidents or ordinary laborers," he explained. — with a report from Agence France-Presse/VVP/RSJ, GMA News