Aquino told: Be ruthless to friends, enemies

A HOUSE opposition leader on Wednesday advised President Benigno Aquino III to be "ruthless" both to enemies and allies, saying the administration's "daang Matuwid" (straight path) campaign is not enough.

"Though I have no iota of doubt over his sincerity in his programs, it's not enough. You have to be determined, you have to be sharp and you have to be ruthless both to enemies and friends; meaning, if your ally committed a wrongdoing, the same tenacity should be given," Minority Leader Danilo Suarez told reporters in a press conference.

The House opposition bloc has earlier criticized Aquino for defending his "kakampi, kaklase and kabarilan" (party mates, classmates and shooting buddies) or KKK.

Suarez, a close ally of Aquino's predecessor, Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, refused to give the Aquino leadership a grade for his second year in office.

"If I answer that, you might think it's Lacierda who is speaking here. But if the President is not honest, the government would have already collapsed," Suarez said, referring to presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda.

The House leader said that an honest leader like Aquino is rare in politics but he criticized the President for the slow economic growth in 2011 after the government deliberately cut off public spending.

He also said that the continuing persecution of Arroyo is a "disturbing reminder of the danger posed to due process, human rights, and civil liberties by the President's vindictiveness."

"We fear that this grandmother in poor health may be denied proper medical care by being transferred to a regular jail cell, purely on the strength of a flimsy legal case based on uncorroborated and poisonous hearsay. If this can happen to someone of her stature, how can ordinary citizens who may also incur the President's wrath expect to be treated any better by him?" Suarez asked. (Kathrina Alvarez/Sunnex)