Aguirre denies meddling in Cebu City raps vs. BDO, vows to sue Osmeña

Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II on Tuesday said he would file charges against Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña after the latter accused him of corruption after he supposedly intervened in tax evasion cases against Banco De Oro and SM Prime Holdings, Inc.

"I’m not meddling. I’m exercising my power as a Secretary of Justice," Aguirre said at a press briefing in Malacañang.

Aguirre also explained why he decided last year to change the prosecutors tasked to resolve the cases.

"In this case, alam naman ninyo that in Cebu, napakahigpit ng labanan ng Office of the Mayor and ng SM. And iyong isang grupo diyan is saying that some of the prosecutors are under the influence of some local officials. Kaya let him file a case. There’s no problem with it," Aguirre said.

Osmeña has said that he would sue Aguirre before the Office of the Ombudsman for allegedly ordering a prosecutor from the Department of Justice (DOJ) in Manila to handle cases in Cebu against BDO.

Aguirre’s order is also said to cover cases filed by Osmeña in behalf of the city government against SM Prime Holdings, and all subsequent cases that may be filed by the same party against the Sy Group of Companies.

Osmeña alleged that corruption was behind Aguirre's moves.

"Nasaan na iyong ebidensya niya? Ako ang magpa-file sa kaniya ng kaso. Ako ang magpa-file sa kaniya ng kaso," Aguirre said. —NB, GMA News