House’s Makabayan bloc urges Aguirre to resign

The Makabayan bloc at the House of Representatives on Wednesday called for the resignation of Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II due to the dismissal of drug charges against businessman Peter Lim and confessed drug distributor Kerwin Espinosa.

In a press conference, ACT Teachers party-list Representative France Castro alleged that Aguirre was only pretending to be clueless about the prosecutors' dismissal of the drug charges against Lim and Espinosa.

"Itong si Aguirre, maang-maangan pa siya na hindi niya raw alam yung kinalabasan ng imbestigasyon. Kaya siguro kung may delicadeza itong si Aguirre, dapat mag-resign na siya bago siya sibakin ni Pangulong [Rodrigo Duterte]," she said.

A panel of DOJ prosecutors cleared Lim and Espinosa of drug trading charges in connection for weak evidence.

Fellow ACT Teachers party-list Representative Antonio Tinio said the exoneration of Espinosa and Lim only shows that the Duterte administration's campaign against illegal drugs is "fake."

"Nakita n'yo naman ngayon umamin na nga drug lord pero abswelto pa. Hindi na lang ito simpleng looking the other way, talagang proteksyon na ito sa mga malalaking drug lords," he said.

Tinio said Duterte must dismiss Aguirre due the dropping of the charges against Lim and Espinosa.

"Siguro isang kailangang gawin, sibakin niya na ang kanyang justice secretary na si Aguirre. Ang dami nang mga secretaries ng mga departamento at iba pang mga opisyal na sinibak para sa mga napakababaw na dahilan," he said.

"Ito, ang pinag-uusapan natin dito, hindi lamang incompetence. Sa maximum, talagang malfeasance, talagang may intensyon na protektahan yung mga umamin na nga na drug lord," he added.

Aguirre's removal from office, Tinio said, is one proof that the Duterte administration is serious in its campaign against illegal drugs.

Bayan Muna party-list Representative Carlos Zarate, meanwhile, urged Duterte to put an end to the war on drugs.

"Sabi niya (Duterte) hindi niya matatapos ang giyerang ito. Paano niya matatapos ang giyerang ito na ang mga nagpapalusot ng droga, ang mga drug lords, ang mga narco-peddlers ay pinapalusot? And the poor, in the thousands are getting slaughtered," he said.

"Ang panawagan natin sa administrasyong Duterte, maliban doon sa tanggalin na si Secretary Aguirre, ihinto na itong anti-poor and anti-people war on drugs," he added.

Aguirre has clarified that the dismissal of the charges against Lim and Espinosa is not yet final.

He has ordered the National Bureau of Investigation to probe the panel of prosecutors that dismissed the charges against Espinosa and Lim.

Aguirre has also formed a new panel that would handle the motion for reconsideration filed by the police. —ALG, GMA News