Aguirre cries foul over ‘fake news king’ tag

Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II on Monday defended himself from allegations that he abetted the proliferation of so-called  fake news in government.

"That is false. I have never been a fake news king," Aguirre told reporters as he sought to downplay the complaint filed by a group of youth leaders calling on the Office of the Ombuddman to remove him over alleged ethical violations.

In a complaint filed last July 5, the Millennials Against Dictators and Akbayan Youth accused Aguirre of violating Republic Act 6713 or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees.

The complainants cited Aguirre's claims last month that several opposition lawmakers met with two political families in Marawi City weeks before clashes between the ISIS-inspired Maute group and government security forces broke out on May 23.

It also mentioned his claims that a Korean mafia was behind the killing of South Korean businessman Jee Ick Joo.

Responding to the accusations, Aguirre said he relied on "raw intelligence information" regarding the meeting allegedly involving Senators Antonio Trillanes IV and Paolo Benigno Aquino IV, Magdalo party-list Rep. Gary Alejano, and Ronald Llamas, political adviser of former President Benigno Aquino III, and the Lucman and Alonto political clans.

"Matagal na 'yan. It's a very small issue making a mountain out of a molehill. Yun lang. Hindi ka maaaring bumaba ng ganun," Aguirre said.

"Unang una, hindi fake news yun. It is a raw intelligence report and I made [that]clear to the media, sa inyo. Sinabi ko sa inyo na this is mere intelligence report. I have to validate it. I don't want to make speculation. Hindi nyo naman prinint yon. It was never a fake news," he added.

Aguirre had said the May 2 meeting could have “sparked the terroristic acts in Marawi" and even used a photo to bolster his claims.

Trillanes, Alejano, and Aquino all denied the claim which earned Aguirre the ire of other lawmakers and some journalists whom the Cabinet official said had misquoted his pronouncements.

As for Jee's death, Aguirre previously said that he had explained to South Korean Embassy officials in a meeting last February 24 his reasons for believing in the existence and in the possible involvement of a Korean mafia in the crime.

He said South Korean Ambassador Kim Jae Shin gave the National Bureau of Investigation the go signal to probe any involvement of the Korean mafia, if any, in the abduction and in the killing of Jee. — RSJ/KVD, GMA News