Filipinos won’t allow a presidential pardon for Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who is facing a slew of criminal cases, President Benigno Aquino said Friday.
He told CNN in an interview that he will not pardon Arroyo if she is convicted.
“I think my constituents would not agree with my pardoning her and I act only on their wishes,” Aquino said.
Arroyo has been arrested and charged for electoral sabotage due to alleged irregularities in the 2007 elections.
She has also been charged for graft in connection with the now-shelved $329 million National Broadband network (NBN) deal between the Philippine government and China’s ZTE Corp. in 2007.
Aquino on Friday took more potshots of Arroyo in his speech at the Asian Development Bank meeting in the country.
“Gone are the days when the funds you funnel to our country will end up like water leaking through a broken pail,” he said.
He painted a contrast between his administration and his predecessor’s, saying he has taken steps to fight poverty and corruption.
“The message, for 9 and a half years, was: nice guys finish last. To finish first, you had to lack conscience, exhibit a certain degree of shamelessness, and be an expert at giving handshakes with one hand, while picking pockets with the other,” Aquino said.
