Palace: We’re not prosecuting opposition

Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda: No prosecution of opposition. FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines–Malacañang on Monday again bristled at charges that the administration was prosecuting the opposition, but said the issuance of the warrant for Sen. Jinggoy Estrada’s arrest was a “step forward” in the search for truth.

Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda disputed the charge of former President and now Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada that the administration was targeting opposition members one by one.

“No, we can also assure Mayor [Joseph] Estrada that the perception that he has is entirely inaccurate. There is no systematic plan,” Lacierda told reporters at a Malacañang briefing.

If at all, he said, the government’s plan was to hale to court all personalities who were found to have misused the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF), “whether you are friend or foe.”

Estrada made the statement hours before his son Jinggoy surrendered to the Philippine National Police after he was ordered arrested by the Sandiganbayan on plunder and graft charges.

The younger Estrada and Senators Bong Revilla and Juan Ponce Enrile are accused of pocketing kickbacks from their own PDAF, or pork barrel allocations, by channeling these to dummy foundations. They denied any wrongdoing.

Contrary to Estrada’s claims, Lacierda said the Department of Justice had filed charges against a close administration ally, former Customs Commissioner Ruffy Biazon, in connection with the scam.

He also said allegations implicating Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala and Budget Secretary Florencio Abad were also being investigated.