Drilon, Binay top survey

Senate President Franklin Drilon and Vice President Jejomar Binay topped the Pulse Asia survey on approval ratings, with Drilon getting plus 49 percent and Binay getting 46 percent, based on the survey conducted March 1 to 7 using face-to-face interviews with 1,200 respondents.

Drilon got two percent more than his November rating of 47 percent while Binay improved to 46 percent from his November rating of plus 45 percent.

Amid the controversy surrounding the death of the 44 commandos of the Philippine National Police-Special Action Force (PNP-SAF), President Aquino was a poor third with plus 38 percent, down 21 percent from his November rating of plus 59 percent – his lowest rank so far.

House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. got 27 percent, down from his November rating of 34 percent.

Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno also dropped to 29 percent from his November rating of 37 percent.

Drilon was thankful for the people’s appreciation and trust. He said he is inspired by his improved approval ratings and he promised to continue to work hard in the Senate to prove that he deserves the public’s trust.

Binay’s spokesperson Joey Salgado said in a statement that the Vice President is very humbled by the people’s continued trust, considering the intensity of the lies and personal attacks against him.

The Vice President continued to top the survey on presidential preference, increasing to 29 percent from 26 percent in November.

Significantly, the Vice President increased to 15 percent, his lead over second placer Senator Grace Poe who got only 14 percent, down from 18 percent.

Ombudsman runs to the SC

The Office of the Ombudsman has filed a petition with the Supreme Court (SC) against the temporary restraining order (TRO) of Mayor Junjun Binay issued by the Court of Appeals, which is a 60-day TRO on the six-month preventive suspension slapped by Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales in connection with the alleged overpriced Makati City Hall Building 2.

In her 31-page petition, filed through the Office of the Solicitor General, Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales asked the high court to enjoin the CA’s Sixth Division from conducting further proceedings in connection with the petition filed by Binay seeking the nullification of his suspension as well as his seeking to cite in contempt the Ombudsman, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, Interior Secretary Mar Roxas and several others for their purported refusal to heed the temporary restraining order (TRO) issued by the Court of Appeals (CA).

The Ombudsman, an independent body created by the 1987 Constitution to curb corruption and abuse in government, claimed its independence was “gravely undermined” when the CA issued the TRO stopping its joint order to suspend Mayor Junjun Binay. She added that the CA committed grave abuse of discretion, saying “it is totally bereft of legal basis.”

Morales said that being an impeachable officer, she cannot be subjected to contempt proceedings.

Morales insisted that she can defy the CA ruling because the latter’s order has already become moot and academic since Vice Mayor Romulo Pena has already sat as Acting Mayor.

Miriam Defensor-Santiago cited that Morales is not liable in the contempt case filed by Binay. Santiago cited the Supreme Court’s ruling in the 2008 case that the “Office of the Ombudsman can, as a matter of statutory empowerment, validly order the immediate execution of a preventive suspension after determining the propriety of the imposition, regardless of the remedy of reconsideration made available under the law to the suspended respondent.”

The SC just issued an order mandating the CA and Binay to file their respective comments to the petition of Morales on or before April 6, 2015.

No apology

In a speech at the Philippine National Police Academy graduation rites, President Aquino issued no apology, but he expressed regret, took full responsibility and appealed to the nation for its “deepest understanding.” Aquino asked the public to look at the issue from his point of view.

 “To every Filipino who has felt failure or has been hurt because of the events related to this (Mamasapano) operation, it is with abiding humility that I ask for your deepest understanding.”

President said in the speech made on the same day Pulse Asia released the results of a survey showing he is no longer the most trusted top government official.

He said he is “also human” and commit mistakes but that he was speaking the truth with God as his witness.

He reiterated that as President he is fully responsible for any result, any triumph, any suffering and any tragedy arising from any decision or move to protect the people and ensure peace.

However, Aquino said he would never authorize an operation that would endanger the lives of government troops.

Without naming names, Aquino said he regretted trusting certain individuals who handled the mission.

Aquino III also sought to justify his absence during the arrival honors at the Villamor Airbase for the 44 police commandos killed, saying he wanted to give the bereaved families time to grieve.

In a surprise move, the President lamented how the Senate and the police’s Board of Inquiry supposedly resorted to “speculations” about his role in the deadly January 25 Mamasapano operation.

Senators Grace Poe and Francis Escudero answered the President’s comments saying “everything in the Senate report was based on facts and not speculations.”

Poe said the Senate report assessed the President’s action or apparent inactions based on his text messages with Purisima.

The public is still waiting for charges to be filed against Purisima.