Teodoro: Expect more political lies

by Rene Acosta (Business Mirror)

http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=22215:teodoro-expect-more-political-lies&catid=26:nation&Itemid=63

LAKAS-Kampi-CMD presidential candidate Gilbert “Gibo” Teodoro scored on Tuesday the intrigue being peddled by some groups that Sen. Manny Villar is the real candidate of the administration.

However, he admitted that “political lies” will continue to spread and intensify during the entire campaign season.

“That is just a political gossip, of course this is a political season,” he said.

The Liberal Party (LP) has claimed that Malacañang is in collusion with Villar and was seeing to it that the latter will win the presidential elections.

Teodoro said he was not bothered by the rumor because he knew he remains the genuine presidential candidate of the Lakas-Kampi-CMD.
The former defense chief said whatever propaganda campaign the LP and other political parties will launch to discredit him as the candidate of the administration will not succeed because the fact remains that he is the real candidate of the ruling party.

In fact, he said President Arroyo gives suggestions from time to time in order to help him in his campaign, and they never bothered to talk about the gossip.

At the same time, Teodoro said he will not extend favors to Mrs. Arroyo, her family members and other administration officials under his presidency.

But if a good mayor would ask his help to fund the operations of a hospital in his area, he said he will not hesitate to help.

He said he has left a good name in the defense department when he fought corruption in the office and would want to continue that legacy so that his reputation will not be tarnished.



Activist watchman

AT the same time, Teodoro said any reform in the Office of the Ombudsman must ensure the institution’s integrity and strengthen its constitutional mandate to crack down on government corruption and red tape.

A review of the constitutional body’s functions must focus on reforms with the “integrity of the organization in mind,” Teodoro said, even as he stressed that the Ombudsman “must be an activist watchman, not merely a passive onlooker.”

Teodoro said the Office of the Ombudsman, together with all government offices, “must work to ensure integrity, as well as the appearance of integrity.”

He said all government agencies, not only the Office of the Ombudsman, are mandated to work harder to ensure that the public is not inconvenienced by red tape.

“In the enforcement of laws, I believe that it is not only changing the people’s attitude, but more so, on reforming government institutions to encourage people to comply and obey the laws,” Teodoro said.

“We should enact and implement laws that do not become an unjust burden to Juan de la Cruz and, instead, make them easy for him to accept and obey,” he added.