Palace: It's up to Senate to invite GMA to AFP corruption probe

MANILA, Philippines -  Malacañang would leave it to the Senate to decide on whether to invite former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to appear before a congressional inquiry regarding the corruption in the military during her administration.

“It’s up to the Senate leadership to invite the former president,” deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said.

“We are just waiting for any developments regarding the investigation over the issue,” she said.

Valte said Malacañang would not make any official comment on the move to invite Arroyo to a hearing at the Senate.

Valte noted Arroyo is a member of the legislature that is a co-equal of the executive department headed by President Aquino.

As far as Malacañang is concerned, the likes of whistleblowers retired Colonel George Rabusa and former state auditor Heidi Mendoza only came out in the open because they have full confidence in the Aquino administration.

“Like what Rabusa said, he chose to come out in the open since he believes in this administration. We are hoping that there are others like him that would expose the extent of corruption in the government,” Valte said.

The President said the main thrust of his administration is to prosecute all crooks in government and jail them, for the purpose of weeding out misfits and stamp out endemic corruption in the bureaucracy.