JUSTICE Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II has recanted his earlier statement claiming that three opposition lawmakers and a former political adviser met with the Alonto and Lucman families in the Marawi City, weeks before the Islamic State-backed Maute group attacked the city.
Aguirre in a statement on Wednesday afternoon said there was no intent on his part to implicate two prominent political clans in the southern city.
Earlier in the day, the Justice Secretary said that Senators Paolo Benigno "Bam" Aquino and Antonio Trillanes IV along with Magdalo Party-list Representative Gary Alejano and former presidential adviser Ronald Llamas may be involved in a destabilization plot against the Duterte administration citing a meeting by the group with the Alonto and Lucman families in May prior to the Marawi attacks.
He said the alleged meeting took place weeks before clashes between the Maute terror group and government forces started on May 23, which prompted President Rodrigo Duterte to declare martial law in Mindanao.
He said the efforts of the opposition legislators to meet in Marawi could be a part of their plan to destabilize the Duterte administration.
Aguirre said "it's possible, it's probable" that the said meeting had "agitated" local groups in the city.
However, in his latest statement, Aguirre said he did not say before the media that a meeting was held between the leaders in Marawi and the legislators belonging to the minority bloc in Congress.
He said he was only misquoted by reporters as having said so.
"Both families have never been and shall never be a part of any plot to destroy or cause harm to anybody or any property," Aguirre said in a text message after his earlier statement drew criticisms from the legislators he identified to be in the said meeting.
"For the record, I did not say there was a meeting between the two families and some lawmakers prior to the Marawi siege. The said meeting never took place and no member of both families ever met with Senator Trillanes, Congressman Alejano and Ronald Llamas," he said.
"Governor Soraya Alonto Adiong invited Senator Bam Aquino to be their guest of honor during the launching of the Lanao del Sur Negosyo Center last May 19, 2017 in Marawi City as he is the author of the GoNegosyo Law. I was unfortunately misquoted by some reporters as having said so," he added.
He apologized to the Lucman and Alonto families but no apologies were issued for the lawmakers he alleged were involved in the meeting.
"To the Alonto and Lucman families, my sincere apologies for any confusion about this issue," he said.
Associate Secretary Juvy Ramirez Manwong of the Department of Justice also clarified Aguirre's conflicting statements.
"SOJ's statement this morning was based on the information relayed by his informants, he merely relayed to media as they were relayed to him. Upon SOJ's further inquiry later today, he was clarified of certain matters," she said.
Aquino earlier cautioned the Justice Secretary to verify and weigh the evidence before making false accusations against the minority lawmakers.
"To be clear, there was never any meeting among the individuals mentioned by Secretary Aguirre," Aquino said in a statement.
"Is fake news enough for the head of our country's Department of Justice to make these outrageous allegations?" Aquino asked.
Trillanes, for his part, said called Aguirre's accusations linking him in the Marawi siege as malicious.
"For the record, I am not involved in any way with the Maute group or the Marawi incident. Secretary (Delfin) Lorenzana said so himself," he said in a statement. "I also did not have any meeting in Marawi in May 2 since I haven't visited Marawi for the past three years. But don't take my word for it, simply check the Senate records for May 2."
"The incompetence of Aguirre is only matched by his stupidity. I would advise him to avoid getting his intel from Facebook conspiracy theorists," the senator added.
In a separate statement, Llamas denied Aguirre's claims, saying he will no longer dignify fake news. (SunStar Philippines)