No untouchables in gov’t – Palace

No one is untouchable in the government’s anti-corruption efforts.

Malacañang issued this declaration yesterday to dispel speculations that it has been protecting Transportation Secretary Joseph Abaya from graft charges over an alleged anomalous contract for the mass transit system.

“There is no concept of ‘untouchable.’ The filing of cases from the Department of Justice and the Executive is based on evidence,” Presidential Communications Operations Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said in a statement.

Coloma also said that the government does not exert pressure or influence on the Office of the Ombudsman, which recently cleared Abaya from the graft complaint in connection with the alleged irregular MRT maintenance contract.

Last Friday, the Office of the Ombudsman ordered the filing of graft charges against former Metro Rail Transit (MRT) 3 general manager Al Vitangcol III and five others for the alleged irregularities in the MRT maintenance contract.

Abaya, a member of the Liberal Party, was not indicted.

Senator Grace Poe has welcomed the Ombudsman’s ruling but was interested to find out why Abaya was excluded despite having signed the controversial MRT contract.

Sen. Poe hinted that Secretary Abaya, a ranking official of the pro-Aquino administration Liberal Party (LP), may be held accountable for the MRT mess under the command responsibility principle.