(Eagle News) — Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre on Friday said the groups holding alleged witnesses to the killings of Carl Arnaiz, Kian Loyd delos Santos and Reynaldo de Guzman have an ulterior motive: To revive the impeachment complaint filed against President Rodrigo Duterte before the International Criminal Court.
“Natanong niyo bakit di nila nirerelease? Tama sinasabi ko noon…Para mabuhay ang patay nila na kaso laban sa pangulo sa ICC,” he said, referring to the complaint for supposed crimes against humanity filed by lawyer Jude Sabio in April.
Apart from Duterte, Sabio accused 11 others–Aguirre, Philippine National Police Chief Director Roland dela Rosa, Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, former Interior Secretary Ismael Sueno, Supt. Edilberto Leonardo, Senior Police Officer 4 Sanson Buenaventura, Supt. Royina Garma, National Bureau of Investigation Director Dante Gierran, Solicitor General Jose Calida, Senator Richard Gordon and former Senator and now Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano—of being behind the “mass murders” in the country, from the time the President was Davao mayor up to the present.
He said the groups–Senator Risa Hontiveros’ camp and Rise Up for Life and for Human Rights— are refusing to “release” the alleged witnesses because they are “waiting for the arrival of” United Nations special rapporteur Agnes Callamard.
“Para maipresenta sila (alleged witnesses) at sabihin sa buong mundo na (sina Arnaiz, Delos Santos, De Guzman) ay pinapatay ng estado at di pinaparusahan (ang may sala),” Aguirre said.