Hontiveros: Libel case won't deflect calls for Aguirre's resignation
March 21, 2018 | 3:20pm
Aguirre has been the subject of criticism over the Department of Justice dropping a case against alleged "big-time" drug lords and over provisionally admitting Janet Lim-Napoles to the Witness Protecttion Program. STAR/Edd Gumban
MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Risa Hontiveros was unfazed by Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II's threat to file a libel case against her, saying it would not deflect criticism of his office.
In a statement Wednesday, Hontiveros called Aguirre's plan a "desperate attempt to divert the public’s attention away from his series of actions that undermined our pursuit of justice and accountability."
The lawmaker added that filing a libel case against her is part of the secretary's effort to sidetrack the calls for his resignation.
Aguirre on Tuesday said that a libel case may be filed against Hontiveros "very soon."
Aguirre, who, last year, claimed and failed to prove that members of the political opposition met in Marawi City before Maute terrorists laid siege to it, stressed that the senator's statement calling him a "reliable friend" of criminal masterminds are "very defamatory."
Hontiveros issued the statement following the controversial dismissal of “big-time” drug lords and the placement of businesswoman Janet Napoles, the alleged brains behind the multi-billion pork barrel scam, under provisional government witness protection.
Last year, Aguirre filed three counts of violation of the wiretapping law against Hontiveros.
The case was prompted by the senator exposing in a privilege speech Aguirre's supposed text messages to Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption lawyer Jing Paras, discussing possible charges against Hontiveros. Paras is now with the Department of the Interior and Local Government.
Aguirre peddled ‘fake news’ vs opposition
The senator, moreover, questioned why Aguirre is planning to file a libel case against her.
"Mr. Aguirre is filing a case against me when he is the tree that bears the fruit of malicious and defamatory statements," Hontiveros said in Filipino.
She cited the instance when Aguirre incorrectly claimed that opposition members met in Marawi City briefly before the Maute terrorist group attacked in May 2017.
The Justice chief was called out for allegedly using Facebook for his intelligence gathering after it was found that a photograph that allegedly proved the meeting was taken in the Visayas before the 2016 elections.
In October last year, Aguirre accused Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon and former Interior and Local Government Mar Roxas of involvement with a drug syndicate. The Liberal Party denied the allegations.
"We already know that the filing of trumped-up-charges is the strategy of Mr. Aguirre to intimidate and harass the political opposition. With all due respect, it won’t work," Hontiveros said.
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