'I am not a thief', says Philippines President Benigno Aquino
Amid accusations of corruption, president elected on anti-graft platform says his critics are the criminals who are out to sow confusion
Philippine President Benigno Aquino appeared on national television yesterday to publicly declare that he was "not a thief" in an attempt to head off a growing corruption scandal that threatens to derail his political agenda.
In a rare, live address to the nation on television and radio, Aquino defended hundreds of millions of US dollars in government spending that has come under scrutiny as he lashed out at the opposition, saying they were stirring up controversy to divert attention from their own corruption scandal.
"The issue here is theft. I did not steal. Those who have been accused of stealing are those who are sowing confusion," Aquino - who ran for president on an anti-corruption platform - said.
"I have never stolen. I am not a thief. I am the one who goes after thieves," he added.
Opposition figures and critics have recently attacked Aquino for his use of two controversial funds, the Disbursement Allocation Programme (DAP) and the President's Social Fund, accusing him of using them to buy favours from legislators.
But Aquino countered that the opposition created the controversy after they failed to answer questions about their own alleged misuse of so-called "pork barrel" funds.
Aquino, who was elected in a landslide result at elections in 2010, defended his use of the special funds, insisting it was done legally, for urgent cases and for projects that benefited the country.