(Eagle News) – Fireworks again flew during the confirmation hearing for Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II with Senator Antonio Trillanes questioning the credibility and ability of Aguirre to head the Department of Justice.
Trillanes particularly pointed out a previous statement of Secretary Aguirre saying that drug lords and other criminals are not “humanity.”
The senator said Aguirre’s statement had bothered him.
The particular quote from Aguirre which was reported in the media was this: “The criminals, the drug lords, drug pushers, they are not humanity.”
This was in reaction to an Amnesty International report that claimed certain police officers paid assassins to kill illegal drug suspects.
Trillanes said he would oppose Aguirre’s confirmation because of this statement.
I certainly believe that his appointment would be inimical to the public interest,” Trillanes said.
But senator Loren Legarda said while she understood Trillanes’ sentiments, she believed Aguirre should be confirmed already as the DOJ secretary so he can start investigations into the controversial and much-publicized extrajudicial killings.
She said she also understood Aguirre for saying his piece about criminals, saying it was said out of frustration.
“It was a hyperbolic statement,” she said.
But Trillanes continued to oppose moves to confirm Aguirre, saying that the secretary will not be able to investigate properly the so called extrajudicial killings because of his mindset.
“I believe that based on his actions, his involvement in these incidents he cannot, will not investigate these things,” he said.
Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan also said that the view on drug addiction should be changed, claiming this was a health issue and not simply a crime issue.
Senator Vicente “Tito” Sotto III, meanwhile, said that he believed Aguirre just meant that criminals were not the bigger part of humanity, when he made that statement.
“Ang aking intindi sa statement ni Aguirre, ang humanity ay mas malaki kaysa sa involved dito sa droga,” he said.
The exchange of views among Trillanes and other senators became so heated earlier, that Senator Legarda admitted that other senators are already egging her to just stop Trillanes from speaking and for his microphone to be just turned off.
Trillanes is not a member of the Commission on Appointments in the Senate, and was just given a chance to speak during the confirmation hearings.
The Commission on Appointment has suspended hearings on Aguirre’s appointment and went into an executive session.
