Palace to protect whistleblowers

MANILA, Philippines – A Malacañang aide said Saturday the Aquino government was ready to extend assistance to whistleblowers who expose wrongdoing in government, a day after Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales vowed to catch errant “big fish lurking in government offices.”

Carpio-Morales also announced that she has given a panel of lawyers a week to look into the evidence collected by the Senate against Jose Miguel Arroyo, the former President’s husband, in connection with the alleged anomalous sale to the Philippine National Police of used helicopters that were passed off as brand new.

Asked if the Palace would encourage witnesses to come forward to strengthen cases against the Arroyos, deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said, “We have consistently said this in the past that we will extend assistance, we will evaluate the evidence on anybody who wants to come forward and to give evidence or testimony, not just on cases against the Arroyo but on any wrongdoing that they know of.”

In a radio interview, Valte said Malacañang saw nothing wrong with Carpio Morales’ short timetable for the Ombudsman panel to look into the case against Jose Miguel Arroyo regarding the allegedly anomalous sale of helicopters to the PNP.

“The Office of the Ombudsman is independent. We will respect the processes that she wishes to implement,” Valte said. “As long as the rules of procedure are followed, then we will respect the processes and the timetable that the Office of the Ombudsman will wish to implement,” she added.

The new Ombusdman said not much time was needed to review the Senate’s findings and evidence because it had done a thorough job of investigating the PNP’s purchase of the helicopters.