‘BRIBERY’ AT THE PALACE

LINGAYEN — Governor Amado Espino Jr., a neophyte governor, swore that he was not among the recipients of the controversial P500,000 supposedly distributed to new governors after a meeting with President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in Malacañang.

The League of Provinces of the Philippines, of which Espino is a member, claimed that the P500,000 cash was reportedly handed exclusively to new governors like Eduardo Panlilio of Pampanga and Joselito Mendoza of Bulacan.

Espino told mediamen that while he attended the Malacañang meeting he immediately left for another meeting. The distribution of the money supposedly took place after he left the palace.

He also said he was not offered nor contacted by anyone for his share supposedly from the LPP belying claim of the latter that its executive decided to dispense the cash to help neophyte governors.

He said he did not witness the supposed gift-giving because he left ahead to attend to an important engagement.

Meanwhile Espino admitted that he is in favor of the granting of executive clemency to former President Joseph Estrada but thinks President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s decision was hastily made.

Espino, Region 1 chairman of the Kabalikat ng Mamamayang Pilipino (Kampi), one of the parties supporting Arroyo, said the executive clemency was granted without the latter asking for it and expressing remorse for what he had done.

“Can you pardon a person who is not even admitting his guilt or repentant to what he had done?”  Espino asked in Pilipino during a news conference held Friday at his official residence, the Urduja House. 

Espino also said Estrada has not stopped attacking Arroyo and questioning the legitimacy of the latter’s assumption as chief executive following his impeachment trial and the ensuing peaceful revolution known as EDSA 2.

“That’s only my opinion,” he added.

Espino also pointed out that the country’s justice system should have been given its due course and a more thorough study should have been undertaken before issuing the pardon. —LM

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