Palace tells Chavit: Behave

MANILA, Philippines - Malacañang yesterday asked Deputy National Security Adviser Luis “Chavit” Singson to “behave” and submit himself to the law as he faces possible criminal charges for beating up his common-law wife and her lover.

However, President Arroyo, who has been championing women’s rights, would likely wait for the outcome of the investigation before taking any action on Singson after his fitness for the job was questioned following the incident, Press Secretary Cerge Remonde said.

Singson, a close ally of the President, said shortly after the incident he was thankful that he was able to restrain himself from killing them out of anger.

Remonde said he was not able to take up the matter with Mrs. Arroyo “but I think the victim has already filed a case in court and then we will await the developments.”

He said Mrs. Arroyo will act on the matter and National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales would have to submit a recommendation.

“We advise undersecretary Singson to behave accordingly as an upright citizen and to submit himself to due process of law,” Remonde told a news briefing.

Asked whether the Palace was beginning to doubt the capacity of Singson to continue working in his sensitive post, he said the matter depends on the outcome of the case.

“It is not for the Palace to evaluate his performance because he has a superior in the person of (National Security Adviser) Norberto Gonzales,” he said.

Remonde said he was not aware of whether government intelligence facilities were used in the surveillance of Singson’s common-law wife.

When contacted by The STAR, Gonzales said he has yet to discuss the matter with his deputy.

“This (incident) is a sensitive and personal issue for him so I’ll wait for him to talk to me about it. But I’m sure that he will talk to me about this when he has recovered,” Gonzales said.