Tomas dares Aguirre: File charges against me

AFTER the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) said he isn’t in their list of drug protectors in the country, Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña dared Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II to file charges against him.

“The police said I’m not on their list. The NBI (National Bureau of Investigation) said I’m not on their list. PDEA said I’m not on their list. So, Aguirre now has to fabricate this,” the mayor told reporters in yesterday’s press conference.

Osmeña said Aguirre should prove his claims that he allegedly received P7 million in protection money from Jeffrey “Jaguar” Diaz, the top drug trafficker in Central Visayas.

“I’m not going to ask for his understanding. File your case. They will invent something,” he said.

Last March 26, Aguirre said a witness, Jaguar’s cousin Reynaldo “Jumbo” Diaz, told him that Osmeña received P7 million in exchange for protection.

But PDEA chief Aaron Aquino said Osmeña is not included in the list of President Rodrigo Duterte’s narco-politicians.

The NBI and Philippine National Police (PNP) also said the mayor was not on their list. But Aquino said they will investigate Aguirre’s claims.

“As far as the public is concerned, I think it cleared my name, but I have nothing to hide. I don’t need the PDEA to clear my conscience. Excuse me,” Osmeña said.

The mayor said Aguirre’s allegations were “diversionary tactics” intended to steer public attention away from the cases he filed against SM and BDO.