Malacañang: Abaya is not ‘untouchable’

Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya (Photo from Get Real Philippines/BenK)

MANILA – Amid Senators Grace Poe and Nancy Binay’s questions on why Transportation Secretary Joseph Abaya was excluded from those indicted in the MRT-3 deal, the Malacañang clarified that no one from President Benigno Aquino III’s administration was ‘untouchable.’

“There is no concept of untouchable. The filing of case by the DOJ (Department of Justice) and the executive is based on evidence,” Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said in Tagalog.

Coloma further explained that the Office of the Ombudsman was a ‘separate and independent constitutional body.’ Meaning, the Malacañang had no power or influence in its rulings.

He also said that they did not know the reason behind sparing Abaya from charges in connection with the allegedly anomalous MRT-3 maintenance contract.

It can be recalled that Poe and Binay earlier demanded explanations from the Ombudsman’s decision when Abaya presumably played a crucial role in the MRT-3 deal.

“I’d like to read in full the text of the resolution to find the reasons why Abaya was not included despite having allegedly signed the contract, presumably with full knowledge of the facts and the applicable law surrounding such anomalous procurement of services,” Poe said in a statement.

“It’s a puzzlement why Secretary Abaya, who signed the contract, was not included in the case. This is evidence of selective justice,” Binay said in a radio interview.

Read: Poe, Binay on MRT deal: Why was Abaya spared from graft charges?

Only indicted in the MRT-3 agreement were MRT general manager Al Vitangcol III and five others from the Philippine Trans Rail Management and Services Corporation (Phil Trans) namely Marlo Dela Cruz, Wilson de Vera, Manolo Marali, Federico Remo, and Arturo Soriano.

Phil Trans was MRT-3’s awarded maintenance contractor, foregoing public bidding.