Press Release
April 10, 2018

The Truth About Aguirre's "Resignation": How the Fall of the Favorite Henchman Masks the Sins of the Prexy

And so ends Vitaliano Aguirre's embarrassing and distasteful run as Secretary of Justice. If only for the reason that his departure opens up an opportunity for the institution - which I once called my home and my family - to hopefully reclaim its reputation for integrity and competence, and to go back to faithfully discharging its mandate in accordance with its motto of Justitiae, Pax, Opus... I would celebrate this development and count it as a blessing.

And I do. To that extent.

I am happy that the people in the Department of Justice will finally be free of Vitaliano Aguirre's propensity to fabricate lies, to exploit his position for his own and his principal's interests, and to weaponize the very institution of the DOJ and its people as instruments and pawns of oppression, persecution, impunity and destruction of virtually everything they ought to have defended - the Constitution, particularly the Bill of Rights.

Perhaps, under a new leadership, the DOJ can finally rebuild itself and will have less distractions from its true mandate of delivering true and complete justice, in accordance with the Truth and the Rule of Law.

But that is the extent of my willingness to celebrate this development.

Many will be surprised by this, I think, believing that I would welcome it as a step towards the vindication that I have been waiting for.

But, dear Filipinos, I am not so naive.

I know better than to celebrate an empty gesture, a magic trick, a sleight of hand. An act of manipulation and evasion, as authored by the master of manipulation and evasion himself, Rodrigo Duterte.

Now, people are beginning to see evidence of the corruption and acts of betrayal of public trust that are being perpetrated under this totalitarian rule... but with Vitaliano Aguirre out, Duterte hopes that the people will forgive and forget.

By sacrificing his loyal henchman, or should I say "hatchet man", umaasa si Pangulong Duterte na kalilimutan na natin ang mga kasalanan nila sa bayan. Kakalimutan natin ang P50 Million bribery/extortion scandal na kinasangkutan nito.

Kakalimutan natin ang mga maling paratang na ipinikalat n'ya upang takutin at siraan ang mga kritiko ni Duterte, tulad nang ipinakalat n'ya na sangkot ang ilang mga opposition lawmakers sa destabilization plot na kalaunan ay binawi at inamin n'yang walang katotohanan.

Na kakalimutan natin na huling-huli si Aguirre na nakikipagsabwatan para siraan at gawan ng walang-basehang paratang si Sen. Risa Hontiveros dahil sa pagtulong nito sa mga testigong nakasaksi ng extrajudicial killings.

Na kakalimutan natin na ipinasok n'ya sa Witness Protection Program si Janet Lim Napoles, ang taong aminado at kilalang nagnakaw ng bilyon-bilyong piso mula sa kaban ng bayan, para gipitin ang mga kalaban nila.

Na kakalimutan natin kung paano niya ginamit ang isang institusyong pangkatarungan para mag-imbento ng mga harassment cases na magdidiin, magpapahiya at magpapahirap sa dating Pangulong PNoy at mga miyembro ng gabinete nito, tulad ni DPWH Secretary Singson na isang napakatuwid na tao na sinubukang isangkot sa right-of-way issue, at ang pananamantala sa Dengvaxia issue para ipitin ang mga dating opisyal ng DOH, sa tulong na rin ng mga kwestyonableng mga "whistleblower" at iba pang mapagsamantalang elemento tulad ng pinuno ng PAO at ang VACC.

Na kakalimutan ko at ng taumbayan ang ipinagmamalaki n'yang bank accounts ko kuno, o ang sinasabi n'yang shabu laboratory sa Bilibid na kuno ay hinayaan kong mamayagpag. Mahigit isang taon na akong nakakulong, wala pa rin silang mailabas na ebidensya. Kaya, ayon, napipilitan tuloy silang palitan ang mga ikinaso sa akin dahil wala talaga silang maiprisintang katibayan maliban sa mga testimonya ng mga inmates na tinakot at pinangakuan ng kung ano-anong mga pribelehiyo, kapalit ng pagsisinungaling laban sa akin - isang bagay na pinatunayan mismo ng isang opisyal na dokumento na pilit nilang itinago sa taumbayan.

Higit sa lahat, with Aguirre gone, Duterte hopes that we do not notice what a sham his War on Drugs actually is.

They have been in power for almost 2 years now. They have been touting their War on Drugs from day 1. But where are the convictions? Where are the successful prosecution of drugs cases? So far, ang panggigipit at pagpapakulong pa lamang sa akin ang naipagmamalaki nila. At dahil sa wala namang katotohanan ang paratang nila, their accomplishment all amounts to absolutely nothing.

Worse than nothing, actually.

Worse because thousands have died without being given the chance to defend themselves. They were just labelled "drug addicts" post-mortem, as if the President's accusatory finger is sufficient basis for a death sentence. Perhaps in Duterte's eyes it is, because they are all mostly poor people anyway.

Worse because, when Duterte had the chance to prove that he is serious about his War on Drugs, when the P6.4 billion shabu shipment was exposed, no big fish has been brought to justice. Instead, they used the Senate hearings as, in the words of a colleague, "La Comite de Absuelto".

Worse because, while the poor are being slaughtered in the streets, the real, big-time drug lords are going scot-free. The self-confessed drug traffickers in the Bilibid have mostly gone scot-free, in exchange for falsely testifying against me. Self-confessed Kerwin Espinosa has gone scot-free. Peter Lim has gone scot-free. Duterte might make a show of throwing a tantrum and firing Aguirre, but we know better: Peter Lim is too big a fish for Duterte to truly fry.

So I will deny Duterte the satisfaction of falling for this zarzuela. In fact, judging by his propensity for going back on his word and rewarding abusive behavior, I won't be surprised if Aguirre eventually resurfaces once again, with another appointment to another juicy post or some other boon from his fraternity brother and benefactor.

I cannot celebrate this development because it is a non-event. Neither Duterte nor his henchman, Aguirre, will be allowed to bury their abuses and incompetence.

I will, instead, point out that Aguirre's exit just proves that Duterte's War on Drugs is just a House of Cards built on lies. And just like all such things built on lies, it will crumble in the face of Truth.

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