Aguirre calls Trillanes coward, ‘sundalong kanin’

Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II has called Senator Antonio Trillanes IV a coward, “sundalong kanin (useless soldier)” and “gagong senador” (stupid senator) for waiting for him to leave the Senate halls before making a statement accusing him of taking part in the alleged bribery by Chinese casino mogul Jack Lam.

During Monday’s Senate hearing, Trillanes asked why Aguirre mentioned the amount of the bribe in media interviews as early as Dec. 1 when no immigration officials had told him about it.

Trillanes insinuated that Aguirre knew all about the transaction and only went out to the media after it was exposed.

“This sundalong kanin is a coward. He was there when I arrived. Why did he wait until I left the Senate before he asked that question?” Aguirre asked.

“You, Senator Trillanes, you should have asked me face to face so you could have seen what you’re looking for,” the DOJ chief told the senator, one of the critics of President Rodrigo Duterte.

Aguirre vehemently denied Monday taking part in the alleged bribery by Chinese casino mogul Jack Lam as insinuated by  Trillanes during the Senate inquiry into the controversy.

Aguirre reiterated that he did not take any amount from the P50-million cash given by Lam’s camp to dismissed Bureau of Immigration deputy commissioners Al Argosino and Michael Robles.

“Why are these senators insisting that I was involved in that bribery? Is it because they could not believe that I turned down the offer because if they were in my place, they would have taken the money?” he told reporters in an interview.

Argosino and Robles filed a case against Lam and former police chief superintendent Wally Sombero before the Parañaque Prosecutors Office. The two also turned over the P30 million of the P50 million money from Lam. BI Intelligence Chief Charles Calima Jr. and  Sombero also turned over to the police the remaining P18 million and P2 million respectively.

Aside from Trillanes, Aguirre also took a swipe at Senator Leila de Lima, saying she should instead explain what she failed to do during her term as DOJ chief that allowed Lam’s illegal online casino operations in Clark Field, Pampanga to flourish.

“De Lima should better explain her culpability in Jack Lam’s illegal casino. Why did the illegal online gambling last that long during her time in the DOJ,” he said./rga