EACH TIME President Benigno Aquino III’s public opinion ratings dive, he emerges from hibernation inside Malacañang, attempts to raise his profile and goes on a rampage against persons he has singled out as obstructing his campaign to stamp out corruption in the government. On April 11, the President gave a speech at the 10th Student Catholic Action of the Philippines national conference at St. Paul University in Manila. His speech confirmed for the first time that his sanctimonious government was in a “fight” with Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez. Gutierrez faces trial in the Senate in May after she was impeached in a lynch-mob style vote by the House of Representatives on charges of “betrayal of public trust” for failing to act on several corruption allegations against former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, her family and associates. “We have a fight with the Ombudsman,” he said, referring to the case which, he claimed, was bungled by the Office of the Ombudsman when it entered into a plea bargain agreement in a plunder charge against former military comptroller Carlos F. Garcia, downgrading it to a less serious offense. Evidently outraged by the deal, the President said, “General Garcia offered to return over P130 million to the government because he was accused of plunder of over P300 million. They (the Ombudsman’s office) attempted to have a plea bargain, and they weren’t even asking for half of what he stole, and they expected the government to say, thank you?” In taking the case to the students, Mr. Aquino appeared to have preempted the trial at the Senate, where House prosecutors are expected to present their evidence to back their case accusing Gutierrez of “betrayal of public trust.” Read more here:- http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquir...-331786/Nobody-home-President-on-the-war-path
