The Philippine Online Chronicles

Former US ambassador to Manila Kristie Ann Kenney has “disowned” a diplomatic cable released on WikiLeaks wherein she reportedly described former president Corazon "Cory" Aquino as “only a partial icon of morality,” GMA News reports.

Kenney posted in her Twitter account, “Good morning! Don't believe all you read.”

The former US ambassador allegedly said in the July 2009 cable that, “Once allied with President [Gloria Macapagal] Arroyo, Aquino asked Arroyo to make the 'supreme sacrifice' of resigning following Arroyo's 2004 'Hello Garci' election fraud controversy and subsequent impeachment moves against her in the House of Representatives.”

“Aquino has since supported civil society protests against President Arroyo , including efforts to block constitutional revisions that critics fear could perpetuate President Arroyo's hold on power after her term expires in 2010.”

“However, Aquino's credibility as a moral crusader was tarnished when she was seen with disgraced former President [Joseph] Estrada in protest movements against President Arroyo -- even after she supported then-Vice President Arroyo's 2001 successful "second people power" revolt which ousted President Estrada,” the leaked cable says.

Reacting to Kenney's alleged description of Aquino, Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Secretary Albert del Rosario said that Kenney's “criticism of our champion of democracy was most unfortunate.”

“It would seem that she (Kenney) constantly preferred instead to be favorably looked upon by the Palace,” the DFA Secretary said in a text message.

Cory Aquino, the mother of current president Benigno Aquino III, was the first female president of the Philippines, assuming office after the 1986 Edsa Revolution. She supported the dismissal of fomer president Estrada in 2001, and demonstrated against Arroyo for alleged poll rigging in 2006.

Cory was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2004 and died on August 1, 2009.