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'Sinungaling, bobo': Tulfo, Aguirre trade insults in Senate probe over 'pastillas' scheme

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Katrina Domingo, ABS-CBN News

<figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lXih0qyoh_g?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div>MANILA - Former Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II and columnist Mon Tulfo on Tuesday hurled insults at each other during a Senate investigation into an alleged corruption scheme at the Bureau of Immigration.In March, Tulfo had told senators that Aguirre was the &quot;protector&quot; of a Chinese-linked syndicate at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), but this was the first time the former Justice chief appeared before the panel to give his side.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/03/02/20/ex-justice-chief-aguirre-tagged-in-pastillas-bribery-scheme">Ex-justice chief Aguirre tagged in &#x27;pastillas&#x27; bribery scheme</a></li></ul>&quot;Not an iota of evidence was presented linking me to the &#x27;pastillas scheme,&quot; Aguirre said during the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality hearing on the &quot;pastillas&quot; scheme.&quot;He made them (Bureau of Immigration) appear as lame ducks because of me... even if I have been out of government office in the past 2 years,&quot; he said.Aguirre resigned as Justice Secretary in April 2018, while the &quot;pastillas&quot; scheme, which involves wrapping bribes in paper similar to the traditional Filipino delicacy, was bared. The bribes allegedly for immigration officers facilitated the entry of illegal Chinese workers into the country. <ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/04/06/18/aguirre-mum-on-reason-behind-resignation-says-leaving-doj-better-than-we-found-it">Aguirre mum on reason behind resignation, says leaving DOJ &#x27;better than we found it&#x27;</a></li></ul>While Tulfo showed pictures of Aguirre&#x27;s friends and appointees riding a helicopter that allegedly delivered bribes to the former Cabinet member&#x27;s property in Quezon, the lawyer said that the pictures do not prove his involvement in the syndicate.&quot;Bakit hindi mo pinag-affidavit &#x27;yung lahat ng nag-supply sa iyo [ng pictures]? Nasan ang isang testigo mo na magpapatotoo na may pera &#x27;yang dinadala?&quot; Aguirre said.(Why didn&#x27;t you ask those who provided you with pictures to sign affidavits? Where is your witness who will prove that money is being transported there?)&quot;Anong klaseng ebidensya yan? Ni-Grade 1 student hindi maniniwala diyan... Puwede ba &#x27;yung completely hearsay?&quot; he said.(What kind of evidence is that? Even a Grade 1 student would not believe it... Should we believe it when it&#x27;s completely hearsay?)<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/03/05/20/ex-doj-chief-aguirre-eyes-more-libel-raps-vs-tulfo">Ex-DOJ chief Aguirre eyes more libel raps vs Tulfo</a></li></ul><div>&#x27;BOBO &#x27;YAN&#x27;</div>Tulfo accused Aguirre of lying, saying the former justice chief &quot;groped for words.&quot;&quot;When a man gropes for words, iniisip niya ano sasabihin niya. That is a sign of lying,&quot; Tulfo said.&quot;Akala ko magaling kang abogado? Akala ko number 1 ka sa klase mo sa law bakit hirap na hirap ka magsalita?&quot; he asked Aguirre, who graduated valedictorian at the San Beda law school.The exchange got personal when Tulfo accused Aguirre of being kicked out of Duterte&#x27;s Cabinet because the former Justice chief was &quot;stupid.&quot;&quot;Madame chair, sinungaling &#x27;yan (Aguirre). That&#x27;s it. Kaya nga siguro inalis ni Pangulong Digong &#x27;yan dahil bobo &#x27;yan,&quot; the columnist said.Aguirre denied that the President asked him to tender his resignation, but did not explain why he stepped down from his post in 2018.<div>EX-FRIENDS</div>Tulfo and Aguirre both admitted to being friends, but said that ties have been severed after the former Justice Secretary denied the columnist&#x27;s request to have some 90 cases against him consolidated.&quot;It got me the ire of Mr. Tulfo. He accused me of courting the favor of Iglesia Ni Cristo, saying I had plans to run for the May 2019 elections,&quot; Aguirre said.&quot;&#x27;Pag sinabi ng mga Tulfo, dapat pagbigyan mo sila otherwise yayariin ka sa mga column, sa mga programa,&quot; he said.(When the Tulfos tell you to do something, you have to do it otherwise they will hit you in their columns, in ther programs.)&quot;Ganiyan ka-feeling entitled ang mga Tulfo. Akala mo kung sinong mga hari,&quot; he said.(That is how entitled the Tulfos are. They think they are kings.)Aguirre also admonished Tulfo for not having a debt of gratitude towards him after he represented the columnist in a case after celebrities Raymart Santiago and Claudine Barretto &quot;mauled&quot; him in an airport in 2012.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/05/06/12/raymart-santiago-mon-tulfo-fist-fight">Raymart Santiago, Mon Tulfo in fist fight</a></li></ul>&quot;Wala kayong mga utang na loob. Dinepensa ko nang walang bayad,&quot; Aguirre said.(You don&#x27;t have a debt of gratitude. I defended you for free.)&quot;My reputation and my family&#x27;s reputation is at stake here... I challenge Mr. Tulfo to file cases against me and face me in the proper forum. You have no right to use this august body to malign and discredit me,&quot; he said.The verbal tussle ended after Committee chair Sen. Risa Hontiveros dismissed the hearing, lamenting the two men&#x27;s unruly demeanor.

Former Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre and columnist Mon Tulfo on Tuesday hurled insults at each other during a Senate investigation into the alleged corruption scheme in the Bureau of Immigration.

Former Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre and columnist Mon Tulfo on Tuesday hurled insults at each other during a Senate investigation into the alleged corruption scheme in the Bureau of Immigration.

'Sinungaling, bobo': Tulfo, Aguirre trade insults in Senate probe over 'pastillas' scheme

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'Sinungaling, bobo': Tulfo, Aguirre trade insults in Senate probe over 'pastillas' scheme

Katrina Domingo,

ABS-CBN News

Published Sep 22, 2020 04:08 PM PHT

|

Updated Sep 22, 2020 04:09 PM PHT

Read More:

Vitaliano Aguirre

Mon Tulfo

Senate

Risa Hontiveros

pastillas scheme

bribery

corruption

Bureau of Immigration

Tulfo vs Aguirre

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