Government: Aquino can’t be impeached for funding MILF

Friday, October 28, 2011
MANILA — The Palace dismissed the possibility of impeaching President Benigno Aquino III for approving a P5-million aid for the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
Presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said the President did not betray public trust nor committed treason for extending help to an institute that will train future Bangsamoro leaders.
“This is part of the commitment of the government to the peace process and training of future Bangsamoro leaders. This is not for armed conflict, but primarily for political and socioeconomic development,” Lacierda said.
Citizens Battle Against Corruption (Cibac) party-list Representative Sherwin Tugna, who is also a lawyer, warned of possible impeachment of Aquino should the MILF failed to account where the P5-million fund went.
Tugna said Aquino’s move could be an impeachable offense, as he appears to have supported illegal activities of the Moro rebel group.
Malacañang earlier admitted giving P5-million fund for the establishment of the Bangsamoro Leadership and Management Institute (BLMI), an organization that will train future leaders and managers of the Bangsamoro homeland.
The check was handed over by government peace panel Marvic Leonen to MILF chairman Al Haj Murad Ibrahim during the parties’ last round of formal exploratory talks on August 22-23 in Kuala Lumpur.
But Lacierda said, “There’s no betrayal of public trust; there’s no treason here. I think he should go back and look at what the definition of treason is under Revised Penal Code.”
“This was very transparent. We informed the public, informed the press about this. So any notion that this was done surreptitiously and in bad faith should be dispelled,” Lacierda added.
The Aquino administration has drawn much flak for the transaction after 19 soldiers died in a clash with MILF forces in Basilan and other skirmishes involving the Moro rebels in various parts of Mindanao last week.
Lacierda reiterated that the government would ask the MILF to account for the money within six to 12 months.
The Palace official also defended Presidential Adviser on Peace Process Teresita Ging Deles over statements of Aquino’s ally Senator Francis Escudero that the President was ill-advised on the peace process.
“Maybe the good senator was misinformed he was referring to Secretary Ging Deles as the architect of the assistance to the MILF — the P5 million that was proposed during the past administration. Secretary Ging Deles resigned in 2005 on account of the Garci scandal. The proposal, I believe, was raised in 2006 or 2007 [when] Secretary Deles [was] no longer part of the government,” he said.
“So just to clarify that point, hindi po si Secretary Ging Deles ang nag-propose. In fact, the establishment of the BMLI was agreed upon by the government panel and the MILF during the 10th Exploratory Talks on February 7 of 2006,” he added.
He also said that President Aquino even saw the BLMI project as “worth pursuing.”
“The whole idea here is — from a decades-old conflict — these Bangsamoro members would be trained to assume leadership roles in areas where they might be needed, for instance. So that’s the whole purpose of the funding. And it was found to be worth pursuing,” he said.
Lacierda also assured that Deles and Leonen still have the trust and confidence of President Aquino. (Jill Beltran/Sunnex)
Source: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/manila/local-news/2011/10/28/government-aquino-cant-be-impeached-funding-milf-187666

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