Former president’s fears baseless, says Aquino spokesman

MANILA, Philippines – Malacañang said Saturday it was unfortunate that former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo didn’t believe that she and her family would be treated fairly by the Aquino administration.

Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said it was the former president’s loss and he surmised that Arroyo, now a member of the House of Representatives, might just be afraid she would be treated the way her administration dealt with her political foes while she was in power.

“It is unfortunate that she apparently has no faith in the Constitution and the rights enshrined in it. President Aquino has restored the faith of the people in the governmental institutions which were damaged under her watch,” Lacierda said in a text message.

Lacierda said due process under the Aquino administration may be availed of by both friends and foes of the incumbent President.

“The restoration includes the effective administration of procedural and substantive due process to friend and foe alike. And if she feels she cannot expect a fair treatment under this administration, that observation is borne out of how she treated her political foes during her administration,” Lacierda said.

“Furthermore, if she does not believe in the guarantees and protections provided under our Constitution, it is her loss, not ours,” he added.

It has been reported that Arroyo didn’t expect any fairness under the present administration.

On Thursday, the Bureau of Internal Revenues filed a tax evasion case against her eldest son, Ang Galing Pinoy partylist Representative Juan Miguel Arroyo.