ROXAS: PALACE REVENGE FOR LP FIGHT VS CORRUPTION STARTS

Liberal President Senator Mar Roxas today said graft charges filed against party mate and former Bukidnon Rep. Nereus Acosta smacks of political persecution following his and the Liberal Party's united demand for an immediate stop to government corruption and the resignation of Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez.

"Alam ng taumbayan kung papaano tumindig ako at ang mga Liberal laban sa katiwalian at para sa malinis at wastong pamamahala. Alam ng taumbayan kung paano umiiral ang mga sindikato ng korapsyon sa loob ng gobyerno. Kaya alam nilang ang kaso laban kay Dr. Neric ay operasyon lang laban sa akin at sa mga Liberal," he said, adding: "Neric has unfortunately become an unwilling collateral damage in this renewed attacks by the Arroyo administration against me and the Liberals for standing up for accountability and good governance. Ito ang ganti ni GMA at ni FG sa pagtindig ko laban sa kanilang katiwalian."

He questioned the timing of the Ombudsman's action against Acosta and his mother, Socorro, a former municipal mayor of Manolo Fortich in Bukidnon, and his aunt, Ma. Nemia Bornidor but said he and the Liberal have been expecting such propaganda from President Arroyo's attack dogs.

The Ilonggo senator had been hitting at Gutierrez' inaction on controversial corruption scandals such as the P728 million fertilizer fund diversion scam, the P6.9 million 'Euro General' intelligence fund mess and the multi-billion peso NBN-ZTE bribery scandal.

Demands for Gutierrez' resignation reverberated the halls of the Senate after senators discovered her passive reaction to the rigged bidding findings of the World Bank in relation to a government road project it was funding.

"As we escalate our opposition to corruption, unfairness and injustice in government, we expect that the same government will escalate their assault against their critics. We expect that they will use the 'rule by law and coercion' at the expense of the rule of law," Roxas said.

He said Malacanang could not intimidate the Liberals and vowed to expose more shenanigans involving Palace cohorts raiding the national coffers for personal and future political purposes.

"Hindi kami matitinag. Hindi kami titigil sa aming pagbabantay laban sa katiwalian at mga maling patakaran ng pamahalaang Arroyo. Dahil mahalaga na makamtan ng taumbayan ang bunga ng malinis na pamahalaan," Roxas said.