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Aguirre: Why is running priest Fr. Robert Reyes silent on cases of priests molesting minors


Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II on Tuesday hit back at activist priest Fr. Robert Reyes for asking for his resignation amid doubts about his department's impartiality in handling the investigation of 17-year-old Kian Loyd Delos Santos' death.

Reyes said the Cabinet official must quit for "making a mockery of the justice system."

The priest earlier went to the Department of Justice to support calls from student leaders for Aguirre to recuse himself from the investigation of the murder and torture complaints filed against policemen linked to Delos Santos' killing.

"I am just wondering why in the face of reports of Filipino priests molesting minors, of Filipino priests fathering children, of Filipino priests bringing minor girls to motels and those Filipino priests molesting sacristans, the good Fr. Reyes is surprisingly silent on these serious matters involving Filipino minors," Aguirre said.

"Maybe it is just me, but I cannot help but wonder," he added.

Aguirre reminded the public that he served at the pleasure of President Rodrigo Duterte.

"While I respect the view of everyone to express themselves freely, I will stay for as long as I enjoy the trust and confidence of the President," Aguirre said.

Aguirre and the DOJ's impartiality had been questioned by some groups following the Cabinet official's statements that supposedly favored the police officers who carried out the anti-drug operation that killed Delos Santos on August 16.

The Cabinet official denied expressing bias in the case even as he assured that he would not meddle in the case which is pending before the National Prosecution Service. —NB, GMA news

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