NEITHER the Arroyos nor former officials and allies of the previous administration are being singled out in the Aquino government’s campaign against corruption.

Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said they have always focused on the evidence and not on the person, much less officials allied or connected with the Arroyo administration.

“They are not being singled out. It’s based on the evidences as gathered by the respective and appropriate agencies concerned,” Lacierda said. “It is not personality-driven.”

“The criteria is kung merong sapat na ebidensya para magsampa ng kaso bakit hindi tayo magsasampa ng kaso,” he said.

Lacierda was reacting to criticisms that the filing of criminal and administrative cases against Local Water Utilities Administration chairman Prospero Pichay and the tax evasion charges against Ang Galing Pinoy Partylist Rep. Juan Miguel Arroyo and his wife could be political harassment.

He said   Malacañang  does not have a hand in the filing of cases, saying they are even “in the dark” regarding the investigations being conducted by government agencies.

Communications Secretary Ramon Carandang explained that the process begins with the discovery of an anomaly, followed by a probe without targeting any individual person. H

In the case of Pichay, Carandang said the  Department of Finance has no choice but to file a case. “It was very clear based on the opinion of the DOF. It was the appropriate action and it had to be done already,” he said..