Aguirre links Cebu City Mayor Osmeña to drug trade

Citing a "witness" who's under the government's Witness Protection Program, Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II on Monday linked Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña to the "protection of drug lords."

In a text message  to reporters, Aguirre identified the witness as a certain Reynaldo Diaz, alias "Jumbo," the bagman and cousin of slain drug personality Jeffrey Diaz alias "Jaguar."

Diaz, according to Aguirre, executed an affidavit on November 23, 2016 alleging that Osmeña received money from Jaguar worth "P2 million for hospitalization expenses in 2013" and "P5 million during the 2016 elections."

Other persons in the drug lord's supposed payroll include retired police general Vicente Loot and four other police officers, Aguirre said.

Loot has denied in 2016 allegations that he was involved in illegal drugs.

Aguirre first hinted at the mayor's alleged drug link after downplaying Osmeña's disbarment threat over the Justice chief's alleged interference with the city government's tax cases against Banco de Oro and SM Prime Holdings.

"Walang kakwenta-kwenta yun sa akin. I-file na lang niya, hindi 'yung nagth-threaten pa siya," he told reporters in an ambush interview.

"I am going to file also...ayoko lang sabihin we have an affidavit, matagal na. The witness under the Witness Protection program na nagsasabing siya'y under the payroll of -- " he paused, but when pressed, added "-- ng mga drug lords."

Soon asked on whether or not it was the mayor or the witness who was under the alleged payroll, Aguirre said he would "refuse to answer" for the meantime.

"Tignan na lang muna natin, ayoko munang i-divulge ito because I'm building the case but meron tayo diyan, mga more than one year na 'yun..." Aguirre said.

"I'm having it reviewed by the National Bureau of Investigation and see if there could be some additional evidence," he added.

Pressed if the case he would be filed would be criminal in nature, Aguirre answered in the affirmative.

"Actually parang protection of drug lords, together with some police officials," he said, turning and walking away when asked for further details.

Sought for comment, Osmeña said: "Not true. However, how can he use that as a defense that he is not guilty. Hoy Aguirre, bakit ngayon ko lang. He is just creating a desperate diversion for serving as a defense lawyer and judge of BDO and SM."

The Cebu City mayor has earlier said he was going to file a graft complaint against Aguirre for the latter's assignment of the Cebu City government's cases against the two commercial giants to a prosecutor from the Department of Justice in Manila.

Osmena had reacted negatively when he discovered through a department order that the cases' changing of prosecution hands had been done "upon the request" of a legal executive from BDO.

In response, Aguirre said it was within his power to cause the re-assignment of any case. BDO, he said, had claimed they "could hardly expect fairness" in Cebu City because investigators there were "partial in favor of the mayor."

Under the prosecution of the Aguirre-assigned prosecutor, the complaints against BDO -- which were about alleged income under-declaration -- were dismissed for lack of probable cause and insufficiency of evidence.

“Am I accusing Aguirre of taking money? Yes. I can see no other explanation. And I’m going to file a case against him,” Osmeña, who has also faced graft complaints, earlier said. —NB, GMA News