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IMMIGRATION BRIBERY SCANDAL

Aguirre apologizes to senators over ‘plot’ remark 


Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II on Tuesday apologized to three senators he earlier accused of being involved in a supposed plot to implicate him in the Bureau of Immigration (BI) bribery scandal. 

At the resumption of the Senate blue ribbon committee probe, Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan denied Aguirre’s earlier claim that he, along with Senators Antonio Trillanes IV and Leila de Lima, were planning to offer legislative immunity to dismissed Immigration Associate Commissioners Al Argosino and Michael Robles in exchange for their testimony against the Cabinet official.  

Aguirre then read a prepared statement apologizing to Pangilinan only. 

“After verifying from my sources and referencing the information we have, let me state for the record that the good senator is not involved in any plot or any plan as reported earlier,” Aguirre said.

“I apologize to Senator Kiko, a good public servant and an even better person for any blemish caused for his unsullied reputation,” he added. 

De Lima, who has also denied Aguirre’s earlier claim, then asked the Justice secretary if the apology is also extended to her. 

Aguirre initially refused to apologize, saying both De Lima and Trillanes did not deny the alleged plot, which a source of him supposedly “overheard” from the senators.

“I cannot change my statement with respect to the two senators,” Aguirre said. 

De Lima reiterated having no knowledge of Aguirre’s accusation.

Senator Richard Gordon, chairman of the committee, then asked the Justice secretary if he will apologize, to which Aguirre replied: “Yes, if they did not do it. But somebody told me, so it’s a hearsay.” 

Trillanes, for his part, was not present during the hearing.

His staff said the senator is in the US on official business. —RSJ/KG, GMA News

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