Abad hits back at Corona

MANILA, Philippines—Budget Secretary Florencio Abad said Thursday he and the members of his family violated no law when they were appointed to posts in the executive branch.

Abad, a close political adviser of the President and secretary-general of the Liberal Party, made the statement after Chief Justice Renato Corona alluded to a family whose members were appointed to influential positions in the Aquino administration.

Corona was responding to the administration taking issue with the appointment by then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo of his wife Tina to the John Hay Development Corp.

The accusation was that such appointment affected his judgment as a magistrate and was a violation of the Constitution.

“(For) those of us appointed, no law was at all violated, unlike in the case of Mrs. Corona to the top post at Camp John Hay, which infringed upon a provision of the Constitution,” Abad said in a text message when sought for comment.

“That prohibition is meant to shield the judiciary from any possible influence by the executive. If there is any institution that should exemplify utmost delicadeza, it should be the Supreme Court, especially its chief justice,” he added.

“Sadly and with impunity, Corona has violated that,” Abad said.

Abad and his daughter Julia were among the first appointees of Aquino to his Cabinet. Julia is the head of the Presidential Management Staff.