Palace says no more comments on Wikileaks releases

MANILA, Philippines - A spokesperson of President Benigno Aquino III today said that Malacañang will no longer give comments on alleged US diplomatic cables exposed by Wikileaks.

"The standing policy is we do not comment on it... Officially we are not going to comment on the report anymore," Secretary Ricky Carandang of the Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office said in a press briefing in Malacañang.

Carandang explained that since the cables have not been confirmed by the United States government, "it would be difficult to make any extensive comment on what have been coming out."

Despite the supposed "no comment" policy on the Wikileaks releases, President Aquino himself commented on the supposed assessments of former US Ambassador to Manila Kristy Kenney on his mother and on his being a "diffident, unassertive man."

Also on Sunday, deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte gave comments on the Kenney's supposed assessments of the two Aquinos.

Carandang explained that President Aquino had to say something about Kenney's supposed assessments to "set the record straight."

Kenney made the supposed assessment in a January 2010 cable sent to Washington, which was reported by Wikileaks.

The whistle-blowing site also released a July 2009 cable by Kenney, where she supposedly said that former President Corazon Aquino’s “credibility as a moral crusader was tarnished when she was seen with former President Joseph Estrada in protest movements against (then) President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo—even after she had supported then Vice President Arroyo’s successful second People Power revolt in 2001 that ousted Estrada.”

Kenney also supposedly said in the cable that while Cory Aquino was revered as a hero for helping restore democracy in the Philippines, her “moral leadership … never fully compensated for her weak leadership style.”

The supposed remarks of Kenney courted a strong statement from the Department of Foreign Affairs. Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario said that Kenney was a "dismal failure in helping the Filipinos defend our democracy.”

Meanwhile, the communications secretary said that Malacañang will not stop the Department of Justice's (DOJ) plan to investigate former first gentleman Jose Miguel "Mike" Arroyo's supposed involvement in smuggling and illegal gambling, as revealed in another US cable, this time from then US embassy economic counselor Robert Ludan.

"Not commenting on it is different from looking into it. We will let the DOJ do what it thinks is prudent," Carandang said, adding that the DOJ would only be doing its job of looking at irregularities in government if it decides to push through with the investigation.

Ludan cited as sources in his cable several business leaders, including Washington Sycip, Francis Chua, president of the Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce, and Guillermo Luz, then executive director of the Makati Business Club.

The business leaders said Arroyo’s links with jueteng operators and smuggling syndicates were undermining the country’s democratic processes and economic outlook as well as the governance of his wife, now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

The former first gentleman had denied his supposed links in smuggling and jueteng operations and said that the allegations were "recycled."

“I never got involved in jueteng because I know that was what brought former President (Joseph) Estrada down. I don’t even know how to play jueteng. As to smuggling, why would I do that? I would never want to sabotage my wife’s anti-corruption campaign,” he said. -- Angelo L. Gutierrez