Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II (File photo from Philippine Daily Inquirer)
Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II on Tuesday said Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno asked him to “tone down” his letter of request to transfer the cases of arrested Maute terrorists from Cagayan de Oro City to Taguig City, citing the security risks on the judges and prosecutors if the cases would be held in Mindanao.
Facing the House justice committee deliberating the probable cause to impeach Sereno, Aguirre said Sereno made the request during their meeting at the chief magistrate’s office at the Supreme Court last June 19.
Aguirre was testifying before the panel to give details on the allegations that Sereno deliberately caused the “50 to 52 days” delay on the SC’s action on his request to transfer the Maute cases in Metro Manila.
“In our meeting, kami lang dalawa and she told me: ‘Secretary, with respect to your request, sana i-tone down mo ‘yung contents ng letter na gagawin mo.’ She was referring to the danger posed to the security of judges and justice staff,” Aguirre said.
(In our meeting, we were the only ones there and she told me: Secretary, with respect to you request, I hope you tone down the contents of your letter you are about to send.)
Aguirre said Sereno asked him to instead concentrate on the fact that “it will free the military from the aspect of detaining these individuals and focus on fighting terrorists.”
Deputy Speaker Gwendolyn Garcia then asked Aguirre if Sereno wanted him to tone down the letter to “gloss over” the fact that there is danger in Mindanao at the time the propriety of President Rodrigo Duterte placing the entire region under martial law was being argued.
But Aguirre said: “That’s the comment of deputy speaker and I don’t want to comment on that. It’s not my personal knowledge.”
The Justice secretary said he wrote five letters to Sereno—on May 29, June 13, June 14, June 19 and July 3—before the SC issued a resolution granting his request.
Aguirre requested that the special court be assigned in either Luzon or Visayas after prosecutors, court officials and personnel expressed fears for their safety given that those facing criminal charges are alleged known terrorists.
The high court, however, designated Cagayan De Oro courts to handle the Maute cases to which, Aguirre said is still near Marawi City and Lanao del Sur where Maute members are believed to be hiding and trying to establish a caliphate. /jpv
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