More allies of former President Benigno Simeon “Noynoy” Aquino III should be charged over the controversial Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP), Malacañang said on Thursday.
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque made the statement a day after the Ombudsman ordered the filing of charges Aquino for usurping Congress’ budgetary powers when he approved DAP.
READ: Ombudsman indicts Aquino over DAP scam
On the same day that Aquino was indicted, President Rodrigo Duterte criticized Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales for the “selective indictment” against the previous administration over the DAP issue.
“Well, ang reklamo po talaga at hindi lang nanggagaling lang sa Presidente, ang kinasuhan lang sa DAP talaga ‘yung opposition noong mga panahon ni Presidente Aquino. Kaya nga po ang reklamo ng marami selective justice,” Roque said in a Palace briefing.
Duterte accused Morales of going against enemies of Aquino only, adding that he would release more information about the DAP cases.
Roque said, “I am sure po marami pang dapat kasuhan na hindi pa nakakasuhan at ‘yun po ang tinutukoy ng Presidente na may hawak siyang mga dokumento dahil ito po ay mga kaalyado ng dating administrasyon na hindi po nakasuhan.”
The Presidential Spokesperson also questioned why the Ombudsman did not file heavier penalties against Aquino and only indicted him for usurpation of legislative powers.
“I would have filed something more serious because the court was very clear that there was grave abuse of discretion and that is why it was invalidated, despite the fact that normally courts would assume presumption of regularity of discharge of function,” he said in an interview with ABS-CBN News Channel.
“It was a very serious breach of the Constitution and I think, you know, charging him with something that would entail imprisonment of six months which is probationable is not proportionate to what the court decided – in my very own case,” he added. /vvp