CAYETANO GIVES PRESIDENT NOY AQUINO ABOVE-AVERAGE MARK BUT...
MANILA, JUNE 18, 2011 (STAR) By Marvin Sy - Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano gave President Aquino above average marks in terms of good governance in his first year in office, but challenged him to hold accountable every person in government, be it holdovers from the previous administration or his own appointees.
Cayetano warned the President against double standard when it comes to acting against officials involved in wrongdoing, whether it has been proven or not.
He said the appointees of the President were generally acceptable, except probably for two or three officials. "
"I think I would give the President and his administration above average marks for keeping, in general – but of course there are exceptions – this government clean, meaning, instituting good governance," he said.
"But there are two parts to this equation, the other part is holding these people accountable, going after the abuses of the past administration."
Cayetano cited the case of Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman Sixto Brillantes, whose appointment he questioned from the start because of the latter's background as an alleged election operator and for conflict of interest in his post because of his career as an election lawyer.
The senator has vowed to block the confirmation of Brillantes at the Commission on Appointments (CA) where he is a member, if he fails to satisfactorily answer his questions during confirmation hearings.
During the second hearing of Brillantes before the CA, Cayetano raised the issue of the continued presence of some election officials in key posts at the Comelec even if they were allegedly involved in the "Hello, Garci" election fraud controversy.
He named six officials, led by Ray Sumalipao, who he described as being the most mentioned name as operator of former Comelec commissioner Virgilio Garcillano in the "Hello, Garci" scandal, but remains in the commission as election director for the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).
He said he could not comprehend why Brillantes has not conducted an investigation into the "Hello, Garci" issue, which severely compromised the credibility of the Comelec.
There were also conflicting statements coming from the spokesman of the Comelec, who said that the matter was already investigated and the individuals involved cleared, and the law department head of the Comelec who said that he has not received any order to investigate.
Cayetano pointed out that the investigation referred to by the Comelec spokesman was conducted during the time of former Comelec chairman Benjamin Abalos, which he said could not possibly be acceptable because of Abalos' reputation as a close friend of former first gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo.
"I smell a cover-up here," Cayetano said.
He lamented that Malacañang has avoided acting on the issue by invoking the constitutionally mandated independence of the Comelec.
Cayetano also challenged newly appointed Transportation Secretary Manuel Roxas II to investigate similar anomalies in his new field, including the national broadband network controversy during the Arroyo administration.
"Why is it so important that we hold people accountable? Because it is only through this that these people will learn. That is the only effective deterrent that we can see here," he said.
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