Palace shoots back: Why ask questions already answered?

MALACAÑANG on Tuesday posed this question to President Benigno Aquino III’s critics in Congress: “Why are you asking these questions again?”

Presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda was referring to the 20 questions raised by militant lawmakers. The questions, submitted to the House committee on public order and safety, focused on the involvement of former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Alan Purisima in the botched Mamasapano operation.

READ: Solons ask Aquino 20 questions

“Maybe…you don’t want the answers the President gave or you are not satisfied with the President’s statement or there is a line that you want the President to say,” Lacierda said during a Palace briefing.

The spokesperson insisted that most of the questions have been “responded (to) one way or the other by the President.”

Last week, Aquino gave his final say on the controversy. While he explained his decisions following the tragedy, he did not mention Purisima.

READ: Aquino stops short of ‘sorry,’ asks for understanding

Critics said the President “skirt(ed) the issue” on why he dealt with people who were not supposed to be in charge of the confidential mission. At that time, Purisima was suspended on graft charges but was still communicating with Aquino regarding the arrest of Malaysian terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir, alias Marwan. While the policemen

READ: Aquino continues to skirt Purisima issue, say critics

Nevertheless, Lacierda said Aquino was committed to uncovering the truth.

He pointed out, however, that it will be up to the leadership of the House of Representatives to decide on whether the 20 questions will be officially sent to the President.

“You are members of the House of Representatives, it’s up to you to go through and the House leadership to go through the procedure and—ensuring, however, that the separation of powers and the respect to the co-equal branch is maintained,” he said. AC