Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre probably thought the public would buy his tale linking opposition lawmakers to the Maute terror group which is one of the reasons for the current turmoil in Marawi City.
It only affirmed his stupidity.
As social media commenter Joel Vivas tweeted, “Kakaibang level.”
Last Wednesday, Aguirre told media that Senators Antonio Trillanes IV and Bam Aquino, along with Magdalo party-list Representative Gary Alejano and Ronald Llamas, political adviser of former president Benigno Aquino III, met with members of the Alonto and Lucman clans in Marawi City on May 2.
He linked the meeting to the clash between government forces and the supporters of Abu Sayyaf leader Isnilon Hapilon, whom the military tried to capture. The armed clash led to the declaration of martial Law by President Duterte last May 23.
“It’s probable, it’s possible” that the meeting could have “sparked the terroristic acts in Marawi…Hindi ko malaman why after they went there, nagkagulo na after two weeks. They met with the people there, they met with several families there,” Aguirre said. He speculated some more that the lawmakers’ Marawi visit could have connection with the P79 million in cash and checks found in a Maute group-occupied house.
For proof he showed reporters a picture of that “meeting.”
It turned out that the picture, which showed Trillanes, Alejano, Llamas, former Pampanga Gov. Mark Lapid and Zamboanga del Sur Vice Governor Ace Cerilles, was from the Facebook wall of Cerilles and was taken on Sept. 4, 2015 at Iloilo International Airport.
The lawmakers mentioned vehemently denied Aguirre’s tale and showed records of their attendance in Congress on May 2.
Trillanes did not mince words, in a statement he issued from The Hague, Netherlands where he and Alejano filed a supplemental communication to an earlier complaint filed against President Duterte by Atty. Jude Sabio at the International Criminal Court.
“The incompetence of Aguirre is only matched by his stupidity. I would advise him to avoid getting his intel from Facebook conspiracy theorists,” the former Navy officer said.
“For the record, I am not involved in any way with the Maute group or the Marawi incident. Sec. Lorenzana said so himself. I also did not have any meeting in Marawi in May 2 since I haven’t visited Marawi for the past 3 years. But don’t take my word for it, simply check the Senate records for May 2,” Trillanes further said.
Alejano, a former Marines officer, said the records will bear out that on May 2, he was in a press conference with the House media together with the members of the independent minority. He also attended the plenary session that afternoon as reflected in the Journal of the House of Representatives.
“I must remind Aguirre that the Magdalo represents former and retired members of the Armed Forces and pursues reforms in the security sector. The Magdalo will in no way put the lives of our soldiers and police in danger. Many of whom are our classmates and friends from the Philippine Military Academy and colleagues when we were still in the active service. The Magdalo would never support or affiliate with any terrorist organization,” he said.
Aquino said on May 2 he was the commencement speaker of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines at the PICC and attended the session at the Philippine Senate. He was in Marawi last May 19 but it was to launch the first Negosyo Center in the ARMM. “I had with me an AFP escort throughout my trip, which can easily be verified through the AFP,” he said.
Aguirre was battered in social media. Rep. Teddy B. Baguilat tweeted, “Sabi Aguirre na pakana nina Sen Bam, Trillanes, Cong Gary ang Marawi incident. Naka drugs na naman yata si Sec.”
Aguirre also got the ire of the Alonto and Lucman families prompting him to blame media saying he was “unfortunately misquoted.”
Journalist Inday Espina-Varona slammed the justice secretary: “Tumigil ka, Aguirre. Anong misquoted? Ang klaro klaro ng daloy ng quotes. Nagpakita ka pa ng ‘fake news photo’ 2015 pa yun!”
“Kung wala kang malisya, di mo gagawin yun. Sa dami daming problema ng bayan, dagdagan mo pa. Naghahanap lang kayo excuse ma-expand ang batas military,” Varona said.
The National Union of Journalists in the Philippines was unforgiving calling Aguirre “a mean-spirited coward.”
NUJP Chairperson Ryan Rosauro said, “There was no misquotation. Your words were recorded on video and audios were recorded on video and audio. So, no, you are not passing the buck on to reporters who did what they are supposed to do – accurately report your official acts and pronouncements.
“It is bad enough that you have shown no qualms about throwing the law, the truth and justice out the window in your headlong rush to persecute – sorry, prosecute – perceived foes of the administration.
“But trying to blame others for your blunders unmasks you as a mean-spirited coward.”
William C. Espina has a simple explanation for Aguirre’s spreading of fake news: “Eh kasi gago.”
Vice Gov. Ace Cerilles of Zambo del Sur personally confirmed to me the existence of the photo he posted in his Facebook page. He is a three-term mayor of Dumalinao Zamboanga and son of the former Governor Antonio and Congresswoman Auring of Zambo’s second district.
He also expressed anger against fake news because this photo was first posted May 13, 2017 in a fake FB account named “President Rodrigo Duterte” against Ace, who urged his fellow Ka-DDS to make Cerilles famous. Look here https://goo.gl/xcS7qM.
nagkakamatay na mga sundalo natin sa pagbawi sa marawi city mula sa maute terror group subalit ang oposisyon ay walang ginawa kundi batikusin ang gobyerno at igapos ang mga kamay ng pangulo upang huwag maipatupad ang nararapat. lumalabas tuloy na hindi lamang ang maute group ang kalaban kundi pati na rin ang nagmamagaling na oposisyon.
tsk tsk tsk.
I am in solemn sympathy with the fallen soldiers, may they rest in peace. But I can’t swallow the stupidity of Aguirre and the moronic leader. gwarrrrkkk…!!!
tsk tsk tsk din.
Bakit nga ba nasama ang oposisyun sa maute group at sa gulo sa Marawi City? Sino ba ang nagpasimuno?
tsk tsk tsk.
I can’t quaff the ugly looking wig of the idiot Aguirre, and his ugly equivalent fake images. His boss, the siting moron, doesn’t even know how to counter insurgent, 13 young soldiers laid their lives for this moronic leadership?
Atat na atat sa Martial Law…
Btw, I am not pro opposition, I am not pro LP, … I am pro People.
The Year 1970, the Month, October..
The Man who was the Champion of Human Rights, Freedoms and who brought us the Charter of Rights and Freedoms had to make one of the most defining decision in his Political Career…He was Criticised to no End, most especially by an Opposition Leader who later was Chosen as the “Greatest Among us” Tommy Douglas which call his declaration of ML as an Overkill.
But duration of the Crisis (the War Measure Act was replaced with the Legislation that has an expiry of six months retro) nobody was KILLED as the result of the action by the Army.
—————-
Reporter: “Sir what is it with all these men with guns around here?”
Trudeau: ” There’s a lot of bleeding hearts around who don’t like to see people with helmets and guns. All I can say is ‘go ahead and bleed’ but it’s more important to keep law and order in this society than to be worried about weak-kneed people who don’t like the looks of…”
Reporter: “At what cost? How far would you go? To what extent?”
Trudeau: “Well, just watch me.”
As the country watched, events continued to unfold in Quebec. On October 15, three thousand people gathered at Paul Sauvé Arena to show support for the FLQ’s separatist ideas. The FLQ’s lawyer, Robert Lemieux, fired them up.
“We’re going to organize, choose our ground, and WE WILL VANQUISH.”
All signs indicated that the FLQ was a powerful force in Quebec. Bourassa and Montreal Mayor Jean Drapeau urged Ottawa to invoke the War Measures Act.
“What else can I do?” Bourassa reportedly told a colleague. “I personally know a great number of the people who will be arrested … I know that my political career is over. The economic recovery, the foreign investment, the 100,000 new jobs, all that has just gone up in smoke.”
On October 16, Trudeau invoked the War Measures Act, which suspended basic civil rights and liberties. It allowed police searches and arrests without warrants, and prolonged detentions without charges and without the right to see a lawyer. It was the first time in Canadian history the Act was used during peacetime.
That morning the police arrested 405 people including Quebec singer Pauline Julien.
“They didn’t ask us anything,” Julien remembered. “I refused to stay in the living-room during their search. I told them: You are in my house, I’m going with you everywhere. They didn’t behave that badly, they weren’t as brutal as I have head they were elsewhere.”
Julien’s partner, leftist journalist Gérald Godin, was also arrested.
“Why was I in jail?,” said Godin. “If only they had questioned me, I might have had an inkling. What had I said? What had I written or published?”
A little history about the FLQ..since l963, the Separatists group were involved in 200 bombings, and the events leading to the October crisis was the Kidnapping of Quebec Govt Officials and the British Consul in exchange for the release of imprisoned members for criminal acts (the FLQ claimed they were Political Prisoners) and the Murder of the Quebec Minister…Also Quoted in one of the Interviews was the famous reply by the PM “READ MY LIPS” the original phrase was from the reporter of the Globe and Mail..also acknowledged by the PM..
The present incompetents have outperformed the previous dim wits in terms of casualties in a single area. The SAF44 numbers have been overtaken few days ago. Marawi59 is the new score to beat and we’re far from done yet. Let’s hope the unflattering number stays there.