De Lima: It’s useless to ask for Aguirre’s resignation

Sen. Leila de Lima INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / LYN RILLON

It would be useless to urge Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II to resign from an administration that “never cared about justice, or fighting crime or corruption,” detained Senator Leila de Lima said on Saturday.

The senator made the remark in light of the dismissal of the drug cases against alleged drug trafficker Peter Lim and Kerwin Espinosa as well as the placement of alleged pork barrel scam queen Janet Lim-Napoles under provisional witness protection.

“This is why Aguirre should never resign. He is perfect for this kind of criminal and corrupt government, and for a criminal and corrupt President,” De Lima said in a statement.

“It is useless to ask Aguirre to resign, because he is not the problem. [President Rodrigo] Duterte is. Without Duterte, someone as obnoxious and corrupt as Aguirre won’t even be DOJ Secretary,” she stressed.

De Lima herself was indicted by the Department of Justice for illegal drug charges over her alleged involvement in the New Bilibid Prison illegal drug trade.

The senator cried foul over the fact that Lim and Espinosa were cleared from drug charges, claiming that the same arguments the DOJ used to dismiss their complaints were the same arguments she used to defend herself.

READ: Peter is out. Kerwin is out. What about me? De Lima asks court

“This administration never cared about justice, or fighting crime or corruption,” the senator said.

“It has taken great pains to exonerate drug lords and now, an accused plunderer, so it can use Napoles against opposition senators and congressmen, whether former or incumbent, and former Aquino officials,” she said.

Moreover, De Lima claimed that Duterte “was never interested in fighting crime or corruption.”

READ: Gov’t attempt to hide dismissal of Lim, Espinosa raps ‘biggest joke of all’—-De Lima

“He continues to appoint the most shady and corrupt characters in government positions. His only interest is to silence dissent and muzzle critics, and to run the country as he ran Davao, like a Mafia gangster,” De Lima said.

“We just have to forget about justice altogether, while the DOJ is still run by criminals,” she said.

De Lima is currently detained at the Philippine National Police Custodial Center in Camp Crame pending her arraignment before the Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court. /jpv