MANILA: Philippine President Benigno Aquino III Saturday blasted military and civilian officials implicated in the alleged corruption in the Armed Forces, vowing to prosecute and punish them for committing a grave crime against the Filipino people. Aquino did not mince words as he denounced “forgetful” military officials in front of other military officials and cadets during his address at the annual alumni homecoming of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA), the country's premier military training school. Aside from corrupt military officials, Aquino also vowed to go after court officials, including the prosecutors who allowed them to escape punishment. “It's really sad that in the congressional hearings, we hear some officials answering ‘I do not remember' whenever they are asked questions about their alleged involvement in the scandal,” Aquino said in Filipino. “But I don't think they are that old to be suffering from memory problems,” he quipped. Aquino rejected the claims of the prosecutors during Friday's Senate hearing that they could not remember the alleged transactions involving military officials. “Even the prosecutors are getting senile. They cannot remember this or that. If this is the case, we deserve to be pitied as a people,” he said. Aquino said that he is fully supporting the Senate inquiry on the allegations of military irregularities exposed by former military budget officer George Rabusa, a member of PMA Class of 1981. The President said he believes that other high-ranking officials are involved in the scandal aside from the implicated military officers. He assured that he will not let these people go unpunished, saying he will make sure that corruption in the military will not thrive during his administration.
