Nothing Surprising over Santiago's String of Unfounded, Rehashed Allegations

January 18, 2010

An official of the Department of the Interior and Local Government said yesterday it did not surprise them anymore that Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago would hurl a string of unfounded and rehashed allegations against DILG Secretary Ronaldo Puno,  given her long-standing agenda of vilifying her political nemesis whom she has wrongly blamed for her defeat in the 1992 presidential elections.

DILG Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Brian Raymund Yamsuan, who is Puno’s spokesman, said that as expected, Secretary Santiago had resorted to personal attacks against the Secretary instead of dealing with the complaints filed against her in the Commission on Elections.

“Senator Santiago’s attacks on Secretary Puno does not depart at all from her usual attitude of downgrading people whom she suspects of doing her ill will, and fabricating allegations against them,” Yamsuan said.

“Secretary Puno has always accorded  Senator Santiago the respect she deserves as an elected official and we expect her to accord Cabinet officials the same respect,” Yamsuan noted.

“As to her allegations, Secretary Puno has always been transparent in all aspects of his public life. Throughout his career as a public official,   he expects unfair accusations against him as par for the course and he knows that he should not be bothered by them because his priority has always been his job as a public servant, “ Yamsuan said.

Yamsuan said Secretary Puno  believes that Senator Santiago can handle  the personal complaints against her. “Secretary Puno has also been at the receiving end of public scrutiny, but we wish to remind her not to drag other people’s names when the same thing happens to her.”

As for the volley of baseless accusations thrown against her by Senator Santiago, Yamsuan said that “Secretary Puno stands by all his official actions.” 

Yamsuan said, quoting Secretary Puno: “As a public servant, I have always been at the receiving end of accusations because of my actions. But I will not be bothered by anything. I will just do my duty to the best of my ability for the sake of our country and people.”