Aguirre slams De Lima’s comments on Marcelino case

Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II. (File photo by ARNOLD ALMACEN / Philippine Daily Inquirer)

Nothing but a figment of her imagination.

This was how Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II on Sunday described the claim of detained Sen. Leila de Lima that the dismissal of the drug charges against Marine Lt. Col. Ferdinand Marcelino was intended to further malign her.

He also rued De Lima’s insinuation that the decision of the Department of Justice (DOJ) to drop the criminal case against Marcelino was a trade-off for his freedom.

“There is no such thing. We don’t do that in the DOJ,” Aguirre told the Inquirer in a text message.

“She was just imagining things. Maybe her conscience is bothering her,” he said.

Besides, Aguirre said De Lima, President Duterte’s most vocal critic, “should not fear anything if she was innocent.”

The feisty senator, who has been detained in Camp Crame since February on what she claimed were trumped-up drug charges, had questioned Marcelino’s supposed plan to testify against her.

De Lima said it was “obvious” that the Marine official’s release from prison last week was “in exchange” for his freedom.