Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II (left) and Sen. Risa Hontiveros. INQUIRER FILE PHOTOS / RICHARD A. REYES, JOAN BONDOC
“Sorry, but too late the hero for ‘justice zero.’”
This was how Senator Risa Hontiveros reacted on Thursday to Justice Secretary Vitaliano III’s resignation, which she described a “hollow gesture.”
“The damage is done. By being allowed to stay in his post for the longest time, Mr. Aguirre turned the justice department into a leading purveyor of fake news, a manufacturer of fake legal cases to harass the opposition, and a refuge for drug lords, plunderers and other high-profile criminals,” Hontiveros said in a statement.
“Our justice system is now in shambles, with more and more people trusting it less and less. Mr. Aguirre’s resignation is a hollow gesture. Sorry, but too late the hero for ‘justice zero,’” she added.
Hontiveros’ statement came shortly after President Rodrigo Duterte announced that he has accepted Aguirre’s resignation.
READ: Duterte accepts Aguirre’s resignation
But even Duterte’s acceptance of the resignation did not also sit well with the senator, saying the move absolves Aguirre from accountability and “amounts to little more than a sorry attempt on the part of the President to save face despite Aguirre’s repeated fiascos.”
She, however, considered Aguirre’s resignation a “clear victory against injustice and impunity.”
“The real heroes are the brave Filipinos who weighed Mr. Aguirre on the scales of justice, found him wanting and exacted accountability,” Hontiveros said.
“I urge the public to continue to exact accountability from this administration and closely follow the Executive branch’s process of appointing a new DOJ chief. We need to build on this victory to fully rehabilitate our justice system and restore the people’s confidence in our democratic institutions,” she added.
Hontiveros has been calling for Aguirre’s resignation after she exposed the latter’s alleged plot against her as shown in his text messages inadvertently captured by photographers while he was attending a Senate hearing in September last year.
READ: Minority senators join call for Aguirre resignation
The two have exchanged filing of cases against each other. /jpv
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