On Monday, Former Negros Oriental Representative Jacinto Paras filed multiple criminal charges against Senator Risa Hontiveros with the Ombudsman for disclosing his supposed text messages with Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II and for exploiting minor witnesses in the probe of Kian delos Santos’ killing.
In a 20-page complaint-affidavit, Paras charged Hontiveros with three counts of violation of the Anti-Wiretapping Law, and one count each of kidnapping and obstruction of justice.
Paras said Hontiveros should be held liable for exposing the text message of Aguirre which is supposedly a plot towards filing a case against the lawmaker.
“That kind of recording by the use of a device such as a camera and recording a private conversation without authority from the people who were conversing or communicating is a violation of (Republic Act) 4200 which is the Anti-Wiretapping Law,” he said.
“Maski sabihin niya na nakuhanan lang yan by accident, pero ginamit niya. Dapat sana tinapon niya sa basura. The fact that she used it and maximize it’s use and used it in a privilege speech and malign Sec. Aguirre, it has an actionable interest in the case,” he added.
Asked if he was really the person Aguirre was texting, Paras replied he never read such a text message from the DOJ secretary. “I will not deny that may mga text messages ako kay secretary... pinupuna ko yung mga, or maybe I have my own opinion on the questions Hontiveros is posing to that witness.”
“If I was alluded to, I admit I may have texted (Aguirre) but I was not able to receive his text message or I might have not read because of the many messages I receive,” Paras said.
Also in his complaint, Paras accused Hontiveros of taking custody of the witnesses on the killing of Delos Santos in Caloocan City and allegedly brought them to an “undisclosed location and without informing the authorities.”
The former lawmaker said Hontiveros refused to turn over several minor witnesses to the DOJ and the Public Attorney’s Office to facilitate the agencies’ probe on the death of the 14-year-old victim.
“Mrs. Hontiveros was asked or requested to turnover the minor witness or witnesses to PAO and DOJ for a possible interview and investigation but she refused. The purpose of that turnover was for the expeditious course of the case against Kian Lloyd delos Santos,” Paras said.
“The clamor of the people to help justice prevail on the killing of Kian was quite revealing (and yet) Hontiveros refused to surrender the witness which is considered violation of the law constituting an obstruction of justice,” he added.