MANILA, Philippines – Several lawmakers on Tuesday took a dig at President Benigno Aquino III for his “kid’s glove” treatment of top officials responsible for the August 23 hostage-taking fiasco, reminding him to remember that eight people, all Hong Kong tourists, were killed in the incident.
The President should just have adopted the recommendations of the Incident Investigation and Review Committee (IIRC) and allowed the courts or appropriate body to do what it must on the case of the officials, they said.
“Malacanang's kid’s-glove treatment of those responsible in the August 23 hostage rescue blunder is another black eye for the government. It is an insult to the victims and the Filipino people who were put to shame by the ineptitude and incompetence of an amateur administration,” Anakpawis Representative Rafael Mariano said.
Minority Leader and Albay Representative Edcel Lagman questioned the exclusion of Interior Undersecretary Rico Puno and former Philippine National Police chief Jesus Versoza from the charges, while lesser officials were held accountable by the President.
“The death of eight foreign tourists due to the irresponsible handling of the crisis situation makes it hard to justify the President’s action to exculpate everyone involved from criminal negligence,” he said.
Lagman also scored Malacanang for keeping the portion on “recommendations” and “conclusions on responsibility,” which he said made the President’s ultimate action suspect from the start.
He urged the House committees on public order and safety and on good government to begin at once their inquiry into the matter to allow Congress make its own independent assessment of the incident.
Bayan Muna partylist Representative Teodoro Casino said the President should have just heeded the recommendation of the IIRC, headed by Justice Secretary Leila de Lima.
“Unfortunately, the President prejudged the criminal liabilities of those involved when he should have just allowed the fiscal’s office to conduct preliminary investigations and determine probable cause, as recommended by the IIRC,” he said.
By assuming the fiscal’s role, Casino said Aquino “prematurely shielded his friends,” Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim and Puno, “from potentially heavier liabilities that should have been decided by the public prosecutor.
Zambales Representative Ma. Milagros Magsaysay said the President’s decision on the IIRC report was a “slap” on De Lima, who worked hard in coming up with a report.
“PNoy (President Aquino) is doing exactly the same accusation to GMA (former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo), which is coddling people in the official family who have done wrong or have been remiss in their duties,” she said.
Albay Representative Al Francis Bichara, chairman of the foreign relations committee, said the President should be prepared for the backlash for not heeding the decision of the IIRC.
“There will be a lot of reactions to that effect, that would be a slap on the face because he gave the commission the authority to investigate, and then he does not follow its recommendations. I’m sure there will be reactions to that and the President should be prepared for that, to justify whatever changes he introduced,” he said.
Asked if the changes that the President made on the IIRC report was acceptable to him, Bichara said, “They should have done the report themselves, instead of delegating it to the commission.”
The partylist Akbayan welcomed the filing of charges against several officials, but also expressed disappointment for absolving Puno and Versoza.
“We question a part of the recommendation that absolved two top officials despite the facts showing their imprudence and negligence over the incident. We hope that in the coming days the Office of the President will seriously reconsider some of these points,” the group said.
Deputy Speaker and Quezon Representative Lorenzo Tanada III said it remains a prerogative of the President to decide what to do with the IIRC report.
“I refer to the wisdom of the President, it’s his prerogative,” he said.
Quezon City Representative Winston Castelo said Aquino “exercised his presidential prerogative” in reviewing the IIRC report. “It’s not total rejection. The President considered substantially the IIRC findings whose mandate is only recommendatory,” Castelo said.
Kasangga partylist Representative Teodorico Haresco said Aquino did the right thing by not dragging everyone “into the entire mess.”
Haresco said the President should not be faulted for supporting Puno, saying he is in the best position to judge the people around him.
“Personally I cannot blame the President if he is sticking it out with Undersecretary Puno because he knows that at the end of the day, he can only count on his true and loyal friends who stuck it out with him through thick and thin. These proven loyalties are irreplaceable even at this time when everyone wants to be the president's friend,” he said.
Muntinlupa Representative Rodolfo Biazon said what happened was a lapse in judgment on the part of the officials in charge of the crisis situation.
What the government needs to do is “examine the allocation of responsibility and authority in handling crisis situations,” he added.
Source: Inquirer
