Aguirre says 'Sino gusto niyo isunod?' remark just a joke

Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II said Monday he was only joking when he made the controversial remark during a pro-administration rally in Luneta over the weekend.

"Alam mo naman sa mga political rally parang entertainment lang 'yan," the Cabinet official told reporters.

Asked if he was only joking, Aguirre said: "Ano pa? Wala na silang sense of humor."

Aguirre found himself on the receiving end of criticism after he asked thousands of supporters of President Rodrigo Duterte on Saturday "Sino ang gusto n'yo isunod?"

He was apparently asking who they want to be jailed next, a day after Senator Leila De Lima was arrested on drug trading charges.

The crowd chanted the name of Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, who like De Lima is a staunch critic of the President.

Trillanes even accused Duterte the President of having more than P2 billion in his bank accounts, and urged that the bank transactions be released.

Senator Grace Poe said Aguirre "crossed the line" while Senator Risa Hontiveros said he was "dangerously promoting a lynch mob culture."

Senate Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III, however, said Aguirre might have just been “kidding and just playing with the crowd.” —JST, GMA News