Critics and supporters of President Duterte stepped up their word war on Friday as the family of Kian delos Santos began their quest for justice over the teenager’s killing last Aug. 16.
Sen. Risa Hontiveros demanded that Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II inhibit himself from the case because delivering witnesses to his care would be like “delivering sheep into the lion’s den.”
“In the spirit and interest of impartiality and the pursuit of justice, I demand that the justice secretary inhibit himself from all investigations,” Hontiveros said.
She said the public lost confidence that Aguirre can protect witnesses after he said Delos Santos’ death was being “blown out of proportion” for extraneous purposes.
Aguirre asked what was the difference between a minor killed by a drug addict and a minor killed by policemen, noting that none of those who have condemned Delos Santos’ killing did so when a family was massacred in Bulacan by a drug addict.
“We will seek legal ways of making the justice secretary inhibit himself from this case. We will not allow him to undermine the credibility of the witnesses, weaken the case and limit the level of accountability to a few rotten police personnel,” she said.
Hontiveros said there was a risk that the Delos Santos case may end up like that of slain Albuera, Leyte Mayor Rolando Espinosa, where the charges against the accused policemen were downgraded.
Aguirre, in a statement, said he was amenable to Hontiveros’ appeal provided she also inhibits herself from Senate investigations.
“I have no problem with that,” Aguirre said. “But she should also inhibit on Senate investigations and other matters where her fairness and impartiality are under question.”
“Isn’t it obvious in her statements and pronouncements against President Duterte? That the President is never doing anything good and for her it’s all evil. So how can you say she is fair and not biased against the President?” Aguirre asked.
He said Hontiveros has repeatedly shown her own bias against President Duterte who “is not doing anything right.”
“She should stop the drama so that she will not be called a ‘drama queen,’” Aguirre said. “That’s the problem with those who lack knowledge. They keep on firing and hitting even if they don’t understand the subject.”
Hontiveros herself was criticized for meddling in the prosecution of the Delos Santos case when she sequestered three witnesses who could have helped strengthen the case.
It later turned out that two of the three witnesses were minors and Hontiveros took them under her custody without the consent of their mother, who is working abroad.
But Hontiveros explained that she was authorized by the two minors’ older sister and she eventually got the permission of the mother who allowed her child to stay under Senate protection.
Hontiveros also reiterated her support of Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon’s proposal that jurisdiction over the case be transferred to the Ombudsman instead of the Department of Justice.
But Public Attorney’s Office Chief Persida Acosta, who is helping the Delos Santos family prosecute the case, said moving the preliminary investigation of the Delos Santos case would be a blunder.
“The Ombudsman doesn’t have jurisdiction here. Why? The respondents here are PO1, PO3. Only those with Salary Grade of 27 are under the Ombudsman,” Acosta said.
“[Besides], this is murder which is in the domain of the National Prosecution Service. This is not the domain of the Ombudsman. If it’s an administrative case, it’s with the National Police Commission,” she said.