Senator Bam Aquino. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/LYN RILLON
Senator Bam Aquino has a piece advice for Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II: Check your facts first and produce evidence from legitimate sources before making another “false accusation.”
Aguirre claimed Aquino, and other opposition members — Senator Antonio Trillanes and Magdalo Representative Gary Alejano— met in Marawi City on May 2, weeks before the Maute group took over the city last May 23.
The meeting was also allegedly attended by former presidential adviser on political affairs Ronald Llamas and local leaders.
“Is fake news enough for the head of our country’s Department of Justice to make these outrageous allegations?” Aquino said in a statement on Wednesday.
“To be clear, there was never any meeting among the individuals mentioned by Sec. Aguirre,” he said.
Contrary to Aguirre’s allegations, Aquino said he was at the PICC in Pasay City on May 2 as the PUP commencement speaker and also attended the session at the Senate.
The senator said he went to Marawi City on May 19, 2017 for the launch of the first Negosyo Center in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao but he was with a military escort throughout the trip.
This can be verified easily, he said, through the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
“Vice Gov. Bombit Adiong, B/Gen. Rolando Joselito Bautista and Gen. Nixon Fortes were also with me during the event. DTI Sec. Mon Lopez has already publicly clarified and confirmed that I was in Marawi City for the Negosyo Center launch,” Aquino said.
“These are easily verifiable for anyone who cares to find the truth,” he said.
Aquino said it would be prudent for Aguirre “to clarify dates, seek evidence and request for official statements from legitimate government agencies before he makes yet another false accusation.”
“This tragedy could have been an opportunity to unite the Philippines against a common enemy. Instead, it’s being used to further political interests and further divide our country,” the senator lamented. IDL