Palace backs Yasay amid turnabout on US passport

MALACAÑANG on Tuesday backed Foreign Affairs Secretary Perfecto R. Yasay, Jr. on the heels of his admission in a television interview the previous day that he once had a US passport.

“I think they’re speaking ahead of time. However, Secretary Yasay has already made a statement and it was logical and credible and open and transparent,” Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto C. Abella said in a press briefing yesterday.

In an interview on Feb. 27, Senator Panfilo M. Lacson, head of the committee on foreign affairs of the CA, said lying under oath “could be a cause for a complaint for perjury” against Mr. Yasay.

“Kaya huwag siya mag- worry masyado kung di siya ma- confirm. Mas ang problema niya ang pwede niyang kaharapin na kaso (He should not worry too much about not being confirmed. His [bigger] problem is he might have a case against him),” Mr. Lacson said.

Two days ahead of his confirmation hearing, Mr. Yasay on Monday walked back on his earlier position and confirmed to Karen Davila of ANC’s morning program “Headstart” that he once had an American passport.

“I had an American passport, but that has already been returned together with my naturalization certificate,” said Mr. Yasay, who had earlier denied under oath, before the Commission on Appointments, having such a passport. Mr. Yasay is due once again to face the CA today.

For his part, Senator Francis “Kiko” N. Pangilinan said in an interview yesterday that Mr. Yasay should just “withdraw” from his post to spare the Duterte administration “further embarrassment.”

“Mahihirapan siya dahil lantaran ang pagsisinungaling sa komisyon. Ano naman ang gagawin namin dito? Ano na lang ang sasabihin din ng publiko sa trabaho natin na ganiyan eh hindi natin paninindigan (He will have a hard time because he lied openly before the commission. What will we do about this? What will the public say about a job like that which we can’t commit ourselves to)?” Mr. Pangilinan said.