One youth group says the Secretary of the Department of Justice Vitaliano Aguirre has been caught believing — and spreading — fake news one too many times. And they are not going to take it lightly.
A group called “Millennials Against Dictators” filed a complaint against Aguirre at the Office of the Ombudsman on Wednesday for allegedly spreading fake news.
The complaint cited specific incidents of “fake news” tagged to Aguirre such as the supposed meeting of opposition lawmakers Bam Aquino, Antonio Trillanes and Gary Alejano which the justice chief previously said could have sparked the siege in Marawi City.
The justice chief even claimed that he has a photo of the said meeting but later on denied showing it to the media. He later on claimed to have been misquoted for his statements.
‘Fake news king’
“We believe that the justice secretary is a factory of fake news,” Akbayan Youth Secretary-General Shama Bulangis said in Filipino. “We call him the king of fake news”
Other incidents cited in the complaint were Aguirre’s claims linking the South Korean Embassy in the Philippines to the killing of
Korean national Jee Ick-Joo and dragging former Sen. Jamby Madrigal in the New Bilibid Penitentiary, the national prison where government officials are struggling to stop the trade of drugs.
Asked for his reaction to the complaint, Aguirre said: “I have to read the complaint first.”
The complaint affidavit was signed by youth leaders Bulangis, Karla Yu, Andrei Buendia, Anna Marie Mercaldi, Maria Ana
Tolentino, Nikki Nicolas, Julie-Ann Corridor, Rae Echaverria and Jonna Roldan.
“He has not shown professionalism for the kind of statements he is alleging. If he resigns, that’s a very good sign. Our strongest position is for the president to take him out of office or for the ombudsman to find grounds to remove him,” Yu, co-convener of the group said.
The complainants want Aguirre held liable for violating the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees for “repeatedly making unsubstantiated public accusations and allegations thus failing to discharge his duties with the highest degree of excellence, professionalism, intelligence and skill.”
They are also accusing Aguirre of violating Art. 11 Sec.1 of the Constitution “when he refused to take responsibility for his actions as Secretary of Justice despite publicly making false and misleading accusations and allegations.”
The youth activists also mentioned in their complaint the statement of the Justice and Court Reporters Association, which called out Aguirre for repeatedly putting the blame on the media for his mistakes.
“Vitaliano Aguirre’s lying his horrible, even as he’s caught in the act, he uses the media as a scapegoat” Bulangis said.
Republished with edits from ABS-CBN News
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