Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre (File photo by JOAN BONDOC / Philippine Daily Inquirer)
Former Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II on Monday described reports that he ordered the shredding of voluminous documents after quitting his post last April 5 as “downright malicious.”
“Foremost, I did not order any of my personnel to shred documents during my last day in the office at the DOJ,” Aguirre said. “If any shredding was done, I know nothing about it.”
Some employees from the Department of Justice (DOJ) mentioned that documents were shredded on the evening of April 5.
“Assuming, for the sake of argument, that it was true, what is wrong with shredding papers when what were shredded were already considered waste? The shredding could have been done to prepare the office for the incoming justice secretary,” Aguirre said.
“We can even surmise that it was done to get rid of unneeded or unwanted documents. In fact, shredding of documents is being regularly done in public and private offices,” he said.
“To ascribe malicious imputations against the supposed acts of my people is very irresponsible journalism,” he said. /atm