MANILA, Philippines - President Benigno Aquino III said on Wednesday he is willing to go to jail if the next administration will make him accountable for his allegedly unlawful decisions.
"If there is a situation where we will be back to an unjust judicial system, then that is a necessary consequence," Aquino told a reporter during the Presidential Forum of the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines.
Aquino is confident that he can defend all of the decisions made by his administration, including the Disbursement Acceleration Program declared partially unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.
He admitted that not all of his decisions were perfect but they were "well-studied" and arose from the best advice he can get from various sectors.
"All the decisions I made were never spur of the moment," he said.
The President said he respects the right of his critics to file complaints against him. He warned, however, that he can also make them pay back.
"I have the right also to file complaints against them for malicious lawsuits which I can do when I'm a civilian and no longer in this position," he said.
Aquino said for now, he needs to tolerate all the insults and negative criticisms hurled against him.