Palace official 'dissappointed' with Joker on 'lazy' tag

MANILA, Philippines - Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda refused to hit back at former Senator Joker Arroyo, who said there is an "indolence of spokespersons" in Malacañang.

"Out of respect, we will not respond to him. I have great respect for Senator Joker Arroyo," Lacierda said at a televised press briefing on Wednesday. "But I was very disappointed."

However, Lacierda also assailed Arroyo for being allegedly silent during the past administration, which faced several corruption scandals.

"The expectation for him was to speak strongly against corruption pero bakit talamak ang corruption noong panahon ni GMA?" Parang wala tayong narinig sa kanya?" Lacierda said.

The verbal tussle between Arroyo and the Palace continued on Tuesday when the former lawmaker criticized Malacañang spokespersons for dragging President Benigno Aquino III into the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) controversy.

“Part of the problem in Malacañang is the indolence of their spokespersons. They play things by ear and pass it off as facts,”  Arroyo said. “Staff indolence, that’s why the President gets into trouble for missteps that are not his."

Read: Joker, Ping hit Palace spokespersons over DAP mess

Arroyo has hit the Palace while questioning the legality of the controversial DAP scheme. He has also branded the Aquino administration as a mere "student council."

However,  Lacierda said the present administration is practicing the advocacy of the former senator, which is to fight corruption.