Malacañang on Sunday deflected claims by its critics that it is engaging in “overkill” and a “fishing expedition” to dig up dirt on impeached Chief Justice Renato Corona as his trial before the Senate continues.
Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte contested Sen. Joker Arroyo’s claim that the Aquino administration is using the entire government machinery to pin down Corona.
“Doon sa makinarya ng gobyerno, tandaan natin lahat na myembro ng ehekutibo na pinatawag ay pumunta doon dahil sa subpoena na ipinadala ng [Senate],” she said on government-run dzRB radio.
These officials included Bureau of Internal Revenue commissioner Kim Jacinto Henares and the register of deeds.
All of them testified not because they volunteered. “Subpoenaed sila… Sumusunod lang tayo sa compulsion ng impeachment court, that was manifested via subpoena,” she said.
As to Joker Arroyo’s claims of an overkill, Valte said, “we will leave that to the judgment of Sen. Arroyo … We do it because we were subpoenaed, it is a courtesy and sign of respect to the impeachment court.”
Sen. Arroyo was earlier quoted as saying President Benigno Aquino III was using the House of Representatives, the Senate and now the Bureau of Internal Revenue to expose Corona’s alleged ill-gotten wealth after Henares said her bureau would investigate the chief justice for possible tax violations. — LBG, GMA News
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