Palace: What’s wrong with having many Abads in gov’t?

MANILA, Philippines - Malacañang defended yesterday allegations of corruption and impropriety against embattled Budget Secretary Florencio Abad and his entire family, including his more than 10 relatives working in national and local government.

“Their surnames should not be a basis for saying they have too much power. I think their performance in government should be a gauge as to whether they are an asset to the country and to the government,” presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda reiterated. 

Abad and his 34-year-old daughter Julia are both members of President Aquino’s Cabinet – the father being head of the Department of Budget and Management and the younger Abad taking charge of the Presidential Management Staff.

Abad’s wife Henedina took over the congressional post he previously held in the lone district of their home province Batanes, while their son Luis used to work as chief of staff of Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima.

Luis has reportedly left the job and is now studying in the US.

Other relatives of Abad in government include his first cousins Anastacio Barsana (mayor of Ivana, Batanes), Judge Ramon Barona (Basco, Batanes RTC), bailiff Fernando Barona in the Ivana Metropolitan Trial Court (MTC).

The four others are niece Myla Pisig at the House of Representatives, nephew Marco Abad who works at Henedina’s office, also in the House; and nephews Parish Pisig, an employee of the Philippine National Oil Co. and John Abad, an employee at Veterans Memorial Medical Center.

“I think it’s not fair to say that just because you are an Abad... considering that they are in various levels of the bureaucracy. They’re not all... Cabinet secretaries,” Lacierda said.

“The issue is, (are) they contributing to the good of the country? Are they contributing... have they been accused of any wrongdoing?” Lacierda added.

Lacierda urged the public to spare Henedina from the criticism. “Congresswoman Abad is an elected official. So there is no issue with respect to having the mandate of the people of Batanes.” Henedina, a Liberal Party stalwart like her husband, is currently vice-chairman of the powerful House appropriations committee. In the last 15th Congress, she headed the energy committee.

Lacierda told Palace reporters in a news briefing that Abad – a former education and agrarian reform secretary – should even be commended for declaring all his relatives in government.

He dismissed claims of opposition Navotas Rep. Toby Tiangco against the Abad family. 

“So whatever claim that Congressman Tiangco has against the Abads is not personal in nature. It’s again one of those things that they are trying to instigate against the government. It has no basis. These three Abads (Butch, Julia and Henedina) are good government officials,” Lacierda said.