Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña yesterday expressed elation over the acceptance by the President of Vitalliano Aguirre’s resignation as Justice Secretary, but vowed to still go after the former cabinet member. During his press conference, Osmeña also announced that he would withhold the implementation of the reflectorized vest ordinance.
CDN PHOTO/JUNJIE MENDOZA
Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña vowed to go after former Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II, even as he expressed elation over the acceptance by the President of Aguirre’s resignation.
President Rodrigo Duterte’s acceptance of Aguirre’s resignation came a week after the latter accused Osmeña of being a drug protector and accepting P7 million from slain suspected drug lord Jeffrey ‘Jaguar’ Diaz.
The mayor, once more, challenged Aguirre to file complaints against him. But the mayor admitted thinking twice about filing a disbarment case against the former Cabinet member.
“I hope Aguirre will continue to file charges against me so I can answer it. I’m not avoiding that issue. I’m ready, willing, and able to answer it. But they warned me about the disbarment, and that he might accuse me of libel. But I’m going to run after him,” stated Osmeña.
The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) however said the mayor’s name was not in their list of narco-politicians.
Osmeña said Aguirre fabricated accusations against him to cover-up the news that Aquirre meddled in the tax evasion cases he filed against two, large establishments in the country.
He said he is now consulting his legal team whether to refile the cases that Aguirre dismissed.
Meanwhile, Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III said Aguirre may have been pressured to resign, following the dismissal of the drug complaints filed against Kerwin Espinosa, businessman Peter Lim and several others.
“Pero wala may impact ani (Aguirre’s resignation). There is none,” Davide said.
Provincial Board Member Celestino Martinez III said it is not surprising that Aguirre is out of the administration.
“It is normal for the President to have changes within his Cabinet, just like in previous administrations,” he said. /With Correspondent Jessa Mae O. Sotto