Roxas responds to Pamintuan column

I am saddened to read your column today where it mistakenly and unfairly labels me as a problem. My track record is clean. I do not tolerate corruption and in no way will I tolerate any wrongdoing.

Let me address your points one by one:

1. Jun Abaya is his own man. He is a principled public servant with a clean track record. He has his own direct, special relationship with the President; in fact, he served the President and his family being Pres. Cory’s aide as far back in 1986. Apart from this, he is an Annapolis graduate, a lawyer, an engineer and a 3-term Congressman. Lastly and most importantly, through his veins runs the blood of Emilio Aguinaldo, hero of our revolution. This clearly is not the biodata of a man who will be a stooge.

When I suddenly left DOTC because of a new assignment, I clearly told Sec. Jun that he had a free hand and that he is under no obligation to keep any of the officials I brought in the DOTC. You can ask Sec. Jun about his sincere and honest opinion about all these people.

2. You mentioned allegations of misbehavior against me. What allegations are these? Related to what? Who are making these allegations? Is it not unfair to broadly throw these aspersions with no specifics?

3. The President and I have a good and close relationship. But this closeness does not extend to his countenancing misbehavior by me or his other subordinates. You besmirch the President in hinting that he would tolerate wrongdoings because of friendship or other considerations. I have served him dutifully and totally, keeping true to “Matuwid na Daan.” (By the way, I am not a recent convert to this matuwid na daan. My entire public life has been a matuwid na daan, untarnished by any association with any form of corruption.)

4. Regarding the July 2012 meeting, I did not attend nor was I or am I aware such meeting with the ambassador or any representatives of Inekon where the alleged shakedown reportedly happened. I am actually curious about the said meeting as to when and where it happened and who initiated it. Had I been made aware of this during my time at DOTC, I would have swiftly looked into it and taken appropriate action.

5. As regards my political future, I can sincerely tell you that I am focused on making the term of President P-Noy succeed and have become quite fatalistic about these things; I would be entirely content if my public life epitaph read “a good and true apostle of P-Noy” and I have strived to do this everyday. I have always looked to you as a fair and clear-sighted journalist and I am disappointed that you would give credence to political speculations and rumor of the worse kind. But then again, this is your column and I respect that you are entitled to your opinion.

In anticipation of being given a chance to clarify these matters, I am. Thank you. Sincerely, MAR ROXAS