Aguirre’s ‘textmate' Paras says he can’t remember message but calls Risa’s act ‘dastardly’

Former Negros Oriental Representative Jacinto "Jing" Paras on Tuesday said he could not recall receiving a text message from Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II regarding Senator Risa Hontiveros.

Nevertheless, he slammed Hontiveros for "trampling" his and Aguirre's right to privacy when she, in a privilege speech Monday, said she discovered their plot against her through a photo of the text message.

She said the photo was taken by a member of the press during the Senate hearing on the death of teenage student Kian Delos Santos on September 5.

According to Paras, "[T]he contents of the text is not the issue here, it is the dastardly act of Hontiveros in violating my constitutional right and that of Secretary Aguirre."

The former congressman who is now affiliated with the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC) said he could not remember receiving a text message from Aguirre as he receives "so many" text messages daily. He said he erases these messages at the end of each day.

In her privilege speech, Hontiveros said an enhanced version of the photo showed Aguirre telling a certain "Cong. Jing," whom she later identified as Paras, to expedite their case against her.

Paras said both Hontiveros, who called for Aguirre's resignation as Justice secretary, and the source of the photo could be sued for violating the Anti-Wiretapping Law.

"If indeed Hontiveros got the data from a photojournalist, the latter will face a wiretapping violation under RA 4200," he said.

"He was secretly recording a private communication without being authorized, and by allowing Hontiveros to make use of it, then they can be both liable of wiretapping as contemplated in RA 4200," Paras added.

Paras also challenged Hontiveros to shed off her parliamentary immunity and do a debate with him to settle the issue of who between her and Aguirre should resign.  —KBK, GMA News