De Lima on Aguirre’s appointment to NAPOLCOM: Duterte really good at recycling waste

Senator Leila De Lima on Tuesday mocked President Rodrigo Duterte for appointing former Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II as commissioner at the National Police Commission (NAPOLCOM).

"Duterte should appoint himself to the National Solid Waste Management Commission. Magaling talaga siya mag recycle ng basura. #zeroWaste," De Lima, also a former Justice secretary, said in a statement.

In response, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said the power to appoint is an exclusive prerogative of the President.

"Mag-antay po si Senator Leila De Lima na maging presidente siya para ma-appoint niya yung mga gusto niyang ma-appoint. Pero right now po the president is President Rodrigo Roa Duterte," Roque said at a news conference.

De Lima has been detained since February 2017 over drug-related charges. She has repeatedly claimed that the charges against her are all politically-motivated.

De Lima has sued Aguirre in previous years for allegedly using convicted criminals as state witnesses in her illegal drug trading case, and for alleged failure to investigate and prosecute more than 7,000 cases of alleged extrajudicial killings in the government's war on drugs.

Back then, Aguirre said he was not afraid of anything that De Lima would file against him because he has nothing to hide, and that he can refute these "baseless" accusations.

He resigned from his Department of Justice post in April 2018 amid criticisms over the initial dismissal of charges against suspected drug personalities.

On Monday, Malacañang announced that Aguirre has been appointed as NAPOLCOM commissioner representing the private sector.

Contrary to De Lima's take on this development, Senate President Vicente Sotto III said Aguirre was "highly qualified" for the position.

Duterte and Aguirre were law school classmates. They are also members of the San Beda College of Law-based Lex Talionis Fraternity. — Dona Magsino with Virgil Lopez/RSJ, GMA News