Former President Benigno Aquino III on Tuesday said that he is now becoming an expert in law because of the sheer number of cases filed against him by the current administration.
鈥淢ay mga nagtatanong sa akin, kumusta po kayo?聽 Ito, nagiging dalubhasa sa batas (Some people are asking: how are you? I鈥檓 here, becoming an in law),鈥� Aquino said during the Liberal Party (LP) National Executive Council Meeting in Barangay Loyola Heights, Quezon City.
鈥淏aka matanong niyo kung bakit, eh sa dami ng sinasampa nilang kaso na walang katuturan (You may want to ask me why. It鈥檚 because of the sheer number of cases filed against me),鈥� he added, drawing laughter among LP members present during the event.
Aquino was referring to the charges he is facing for improper tax collection and unlawful spending on Sanofi Pasteur鈥檚 Dengvaxia, an imported vaccine used by his administration for the national anti-dengue immunization program, which allegedly resulted to numerous deaths of children and adults.
鈥淢eron ho isang kopya ng investigation report, finorward sa Ombudsman, pinag-uusapan 鈥榶ong funding ng Dengvaxia.聽 Bakit daw namin ginamit 鈥榶ong savings, sabi nila ang savings, dapat gamitin ito sa katapusan ng taon, December 31, 鈥榶on po yung unang paragraph,鈥� he explained.
(There is one copy of the investigation report orwarded by the Ombudsman which discussed the Dengvaxia funding. They were asking why we used our savings for this. Well, we need to use the savings at the end of the year, December 31. That鈥檚 the first paragraph.)
鈥淒ahil yung pondo raw po ay 2015, hindi pwede gamitin before December 31. Sa madaling salita, kung gagastusin niyo bago December 31, 2015, mali kayo.聽 Kung gagastusin 鈥榶on matapos ng December 31, 2015 mali pa rin kayo,鈥� he added.
(Because the fund was allotted for 2015, they were saying we cannot use it before December 31. In short, if you are going to spend it before December 31, 2015, you were wrong. If you are going to spending it after December 31, 2015, you鈥檙e still wrong.)
The former president said聽 he will file counter-charges against those who filed a complaint against him.
鈥淥kay lang po sa akin 鈥榶an, dahil kami naman po ang magsasampa ng kaso鈥t malapit-lapit na rin po 鈥榶on (It鈥檚 OK with me because we are also filing a case soon),鈥� he said.
He also shared that he was ordered by the Supreme Court to comment on the ouster of former Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno, who was removed when her colleagues voted 8-6 in favor of the quo warranto petition filed by Solicitor General Jose Calida.
鈥淚 have an order to comment on the complaint filed against us for the appointment of Chief Justice Sereno to that position.聽 It鈥檚 a one-page letter,鈥� he said.
鈥淣aka lagay 鈥榙on, may reklamo daw sa pagkakatalaga kay Chief Justice Sereno bilang Chief Justice, violation of anti-graft and corrupt practices.聽 Sa totoo lang, kapag pangulo kayo, hindi kayo pwedeng maki-alam sa pagtatalaga ng Chief (Justice),鈥� Aquino explained.
(It was stated there that there is a complaint against the appointment of Chief Justice Sereno and violation of anti-graft and corrupt practices. The truth is, if you are the president you cannot meddle in the appointment of the chief justice.) /ee