MANILA, Philippines – President Rodrigo Duterte called Akbayan Senator Risa Hontiveros “naive” for supposedly assuming the text messages Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II were reading during a hearing were about her.

This despite the fact that the messages contained the name “Hontiveros” and spoke of “her” asking questions to witnesses during a hearing. 

“That is a very naive. Ayaw ko lang anuhin si Hontiveros (I just don’t want to insult Hontiveros). When two persons talk and you are not a party to it, do not draw conclusions of what they are talking about,” said Duterte on Tuesday, September 12, during a media interview in Taguig. 

“For all you know, ang pinag-usapan ng mga gago, babae (the fools are talking about women),” he added.

But messages on Aguirre’s phone captured by a photographer during the September 5 Senate public order committee hearing leave little room for doubt that they are about Hontiveros.

A message supposedly sent to Aguirre by Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption and former lawmaker Jacinto “Jing” Paras read: “Naturuan na ni Hontiveros yung testigo (Hontiveros already coached the witnesses). Her questions are leading questions.”

Aguirre was seen typing on his phone: “‘Yon nga sinasabi ko kanina dito. Very obvious. Kaya expedite natin ang cases ninyo vs her.” (That’s what I’m saying. Very obvious. So let’s expedite your cases against her.)

But when asked about the “cases” Aguirre and Paras were talking about, Duterte denied knowledge of it.

“Hindi ko alam ‘yan, ma’am. Sorry talaga (I really don’t know about it, ma’am. I’m really sorry),” he said.

Hontiveros has called for Aguirre’s resignation, accusing him of plotting against a sitting senator during a senate hearing.

The Justice Secretary shot back, calling her unethical. Paras claimed she can be held liable for violating the anti-wiretapping law. 

Hontiveros said Aguirre was skirting the issue and failed to answer if the text conversation was real or not. – Rappler.com