MANILA — Former Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II on Thursday filed a libel complaint before the Manila City Prosecutor’s Office against Philippine Daily Inquirer columnist Ramon Tulfo and several editors and officers of the newspaper and tabloid Bandera over an article which described him as ‘callous” and imputed malicious defects on him.
Aside from Tulfo, named respondents in the case are Inquirer Publications Inc. Board chair Marixi Prieto, Inquirer Publication Inc. president and chief executive officer Alexandra Prieto-Romualdez, Inquirer chief operating officer Renato Reinoso, Inquirer executive editor Jose Ma. Nolasco, Inquirer opinion editor Rosario Garcellano and Inquirer.net associate editor Abelardo Ulanday.
Also included in the complaint are Bandera publisher Eileen Mangubat, editor in chief Dona Policar, deputy editor Jimmy Alcantara and several unidentified officials and editors.
Tulfo, Prieto,Prieto-Romualdez and Reinoso were charged for 12 counts of cyber-libel and 10 counts of libel, while Nolasco and Garcellano were sued for 12 counts of cyber libel.
On the other hand, Mangubat, Policar and Alcantara were charged for 10 counts of libel.
Aguirre took issue on the columns written by Tulfo and published on the Inquirer, Bandera, and digital platform Inquirer.net between August 26, 2017, September 19, 2017, October 14, 2017 and April 3, 2018.
These columns covered topics such as Aguirre’s statements in connection with the killing of minor Kian delos Santos, his alleged courtship of a religious group, complicity in an extortion case against two Immigration deputy commissioners, deaths supposedly linked to an anti-dengue vaccine, and alleged pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim Napoles.
Aguirre cited article August 26, 2017 article which was published in the Philippine Daily Inquirer and Inquirer.net entitled “Injustice Too Many” written by Tulfo which he said called him as “callous” and ascribes that he tried to downplay as not a “big deal” the killing of 17-year old Kian Delos Santos by members of the Caloocan city police who were supposedly conducting an anti-drug operation and that it was an isolated incident, which was blown out of proportion by the media.
He said the same article was also published in the vernacular on the same date in Bandera with the title “Manhid si Justice Secretary Aguirre.”
The former DOJ chief said Tulfo’s accusation is a “complete lie.” “A closer reading of the statement I allegedly made would reveal that I never downplayed the killing of Mr. Delos Santos, or any killing for that matter. All crimes and felonies committed, regardless of the level of publicity, deserve the same barometer of justice under the rule of law,” Aguirre said in his complaint.
But Aguirre said despite the “misrepresentation” of what he actually stated, Tulfo continued to maliciously impute vices or defects against him when he wrote another article on August 29, 2017, published in the PDI and Inquirer.net entitled “Time to Replace DOJ Chief” where the latter said the then DOJ chief tends to put his foot in his mouth most of the time, especially when he made the remark that Delos Santos’s murder by policemen was just an “isolated incident.”
Tulfo also described Aguirre in the article as “”pabigat” to the Duterte administration and called on him to be replaced.
Aguirre said the same article was printed on the same date in Bandera with the title “Humanap na ng papalit kay Vitaliano Aguirre.”
Aguirre also cited another article published by PDI and Inquirer.net on September 14, 2017 entitled “Duterte has His Share of Incompetent Officials,” wherein, he said, Tulfo wrote that he is among the wrong people placed in key positions in the government.
On September 19, 2017, Aguirre said another article by Tulfo was again published by PDI and Inquirer.net with the title “Beware of ‘Frozen’ BOC Exec” where he said the columnist wrote that he is allegedly seeking favors from a major religious group without presenting evidence to back up his assertion.
Aguirre also cited another article of Tulfo published on October 14,2017 entitled “Aguirre’s Math, Duterte’s Look” which was published in the PDI, “Hindi Marunong Magbilang si Secretary Aguirre” which was published in Bandera,and “Aguirre’s Math” which was published in Inquirer.net.
Aguirre resigned from his post last April and was replaced by Menardo Guevarra. (With reports from Rachel Banares/OJT/PNA)
