Akbayan: Aquino has shortcomings, but we’re staying

MANILA, Philippines – The political party Akbayan announced it would remain part of the Aquino administration despite the resignation of its congressional representative over what he called the President’s “brazen cover-up” in the anti-terror operation that led to the death of police commandos.

In a statement early Wednesday evening, March 11, the party called on President Benigno Aquino III to “[exact] full accountability from all responsible actors on the Mamapasano incident, including himself.”

Akbayan Representative Walden Bello submitted his irrevocable resignation as representative of the party-list organization Wednesday morning. Continuing support for the Aquino administration was a major policy difference he has with the party leadership, he said.

On Tuesday, he strongly criticized the President for not taking responsibility for the January 25 incident in Mamasapano, Maguindanao, that has since threatened the peace process with Moro rebels.

“Mamasapano is a deadly acid eating at the presidency,” Bello said. Aquino’s speech on Monday was “the latest development in the shrinking of the man from a credible president to a small-minded bureaucrat trying desperately to erase his fingerprints from a failed project to save his own ass. This man knows nothing of command responsibility or of honor.”

Akbayan said it “is saddened by Rep Walden Bello’s irrevocable decision to resign as our party representative. He has provided sterling leadership to our Party in and out of Congress. He has led some of Akbayan’s important struggles and victories through the years.”

The party enumerated the advocacies that Bello helped push: land reform, reproductive health, freedom of information, anti-discrimination bill, upholding the country’s sovereignty, and protecting the welfare of Filipino workers both here and overseas.

“We, however, believe that there are more reforms to be gained from staying in the coalition than by leaving it at this conjuncture,” Akbayan said. “We call on President Aquino to rescue the momentum of reform by exacting full accountability from all responsible actors on the Mamapasano incident, including himself.” 

The party said Bello “remains a treasured member of the party,” and that “his decision to resign as party representative is yet another act of leadership and statesmanship on his part.”

“Even on the issue over which he has resigned, we hold true to the value that principled differences and the principled handling of differences mark progressive politics,” it added.

The party said it agrees with Bello that President Aquino has had “shortcomings in stepping up to take on command of the situation,” which has since created “a more difficult terrain” in their partnership with government.

Still, Akbayan said, it will “remain steadfast in the challenging task of making democracy work.”

This was not the first time that Akbayan sided with Aquino over the President’s differences with Bello. 

In August, Bello wrote Aquino a letter calling for the resignation of Abad, Aquino’s party mate in the Liberal Party (LP), for his role in the controversial DAP scheme, parts of which were declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.

Akbayan said Bello was just expressing a “personal” opinion, and that the party continued to support Aquino.

Aquino’s 2010 presidential candidacy saw Akbayan forming a coalition with the Liberal Party (LP).

At least 3 senior Akbayan stalwarts work under Aquino’s administration: Commission on Human Rights Chairperson Loretta Ann Rosales, Presidential Adviser on Political Affairs Ronald Llamas, and National Anti-Poverty Commission head Joel Rocamora. Its current chairman, Risa Hontiveros, ran under the LP-led senatorial ticket in 2010 and 2013 but lost. – Rappler.com