VACC lawyer castigates Aquino for crying harassment

VACC counsel Atty. Manuelito Luna INQUIRER.net file photo / Aries Joseph Hegina

The lawyers of the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC) denied on Friday that the complaint filed against former President Benigno Aquino III before the Commission on Elections (Comelec) was a form of “harassment.”

“You know, when a person who has no more defense or credible defense on a case, he usually resorts to ad hominem, personal attacks, and below-the-belt attacks. We don’t mind that,” VACC lawyer Manuelito Luna said in a press briefing in Manila.

The VACC and Dr. Francis Cruz have filed charges against Aquino, former Budget Secretary Florencio Abad and former Health Secretary Janette Garin for violations of a law that banned the implementation of government projects for 45 days prior to an election.

But Aquino, who appeared Thursday before the Comelec, denied he committed acts of electioneering over the implementation of the P3.5-billion dengue immunization program in 2016 and called it harassment.

“Sinasabi naman niya harrasment. Pareho ang tune nila ni Sen. [Antonio] Trillanes,” Luna said, who also filed the sedition case against the senator.

Undersecretary Jacinto Paras, a VACC member who is now with the Department of Labor and Employment, disputed Aquino’s claim that he did not commit electioneering.

“In his interview, he emphasized that mali daw yung kaso kasi the election period starts from March 25, to I think June kasi 45 days before and after and he cited the issuance of a purchase order e klarong-klaro na hindi na niya pinag-aralan yung kaso kasi yung purchase order is not disbursement yet,” Paras said.

“What is prohibited in the law [RA] 9184 is the disbursement of public funds within the period or 45 days prior to an election. E the disbursement came after the issuance of purchase order. ‘Yung delivery kasi if you deliver, you get paid,” he added.

Luna said they won’t be “distracted” by Aquino’s comments, saying they have a solid evidence against the former president.

“We will not be distracted by his comments. In the first place, we were sure when we filed the cases in the Comelec eh, meron po kaming katibayan at baseman laban sa kanila,” he said.

Aside from crying harassment, Aquino said the complainants, only wanted to be noticed by President Rodrigo Duterte so they would be given a government post.

“Klaro naman pong harassment lang ang punto. Tama marahil ang sinasabi ng iilan na ‘di katarungan ang layunin dito, kundi ang magpapansin para ma-appoint sa puwesto,” Aquino told reporters.

Luna said the comments of Aquino were uncalled for.

“Kaya yung mga sagot niya kahapon ay di kanais-nais and should not have been the answer of a former president,” Luna said. /jpv

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