Interior Undersecretary Rico Puno and Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago. INQUIRER / SENATE POOL FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines–Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago dared Interior Undersecretary Rico Puno on Tuesday to just step down from his post out of delicadeza.
Santiago issued this challenge even after President Benigno Aquino III said he was considering Philippine National Police chief Nicanor Bartolome to take Puno’s position.
“Ang swerte naman nitong taong ito. Pagkatapos ang daming kuro-kuro sa kanya pero ayaw nyang sagutin. He’s absolutely silent in the face of all these swirling doubts around this person. He just opts to remain silent. Wala siyang sinasabi para sa sarili nya,” she said in a radio interview.
“Bakit hindi sya mag resign dahil ang dami ng sinasabi? Kasi ang mga taong may delicadeza, totoo man o hindi man, kung marami ng pagbibintang sa kanila, magreresign na lang sila para mawala na sakit ulo nung kanyang boss,” Santiago said.
Puno is again at the center of a controversy after he allegedly tried to obtain certain documents from the office and house in Quezon City of the late Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo , who died in a plane crash last August 18.
Puno is said to be under investigation by Robredo for his purported involvement in the alleged overpriced purchase of service pistols for the Philippine National Police.