Aguirre nominated to SSS board, defends ‘recycling’

MANILA, Philippines — Former justice secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II has been nominated to the board of the Social Security System (SSS) amid the ongoing “recycling” of dismissed Cabinet officials.

Aguirre confirmed that he has been nominated to the SSS governing body, but stressed that this was done several months before he resigned in April from the Department of Justice (DOJ).

“I was nominated there in SSS even before my resignation from the DOJ,” he told The STAR.

Asked if he would accept an appointment to the SSS, he replied, “If it will be offered formally, I will accept it.”

Aguirre said there is nothing wrong with the reappointment to other positions of several Cabinet members who either resigned or were sacked.

“It’s the call of the President. He is the appointing authority, so it’s his discretion,” he explained.

Among the officials in the Duterte Cabinet who were removed from their posts over various issues – including allegations of corruption – and later appointed to other posts were: former Presidential Commission on the Urban Poor commissioners Manuel Serra Jr. (now Philippine Coconut Authority board member) and Melissa Avanceña Aradanas (now deputy secretary general of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council); former Bureau of Customs chief Nicanor Faeldon (now deputy administrator of the Office of the Civil Defense); former SSS board member Jose Gabriel La Viña (now agriculture undersecretary).

Aguirre assumed his previous post as justice secretary on June 30, 2016. He resigned last April after massive criticisms over the the dismissal of drug charges against Cebuano businessman Peter Lim and self-confessed drug trader Kerwin Espinosa.

He was also targeted by attacks over the provisional acceptance of pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles in the witness protection program.

Aguirre became controversial in late 2016 over the P50-million extortion charge against his subordinates and fraternity brothers –immigration associate commissioners Al Argosino and Michael Robles – involving Chinese gaming tycoon Jack Lam reportedly for the release of 1,316 illegal Chinese workers in an illegal online gambling facility inside the Fontana Leisure Park in Pampanga.

After resigning, Aguirre revealed that he was being urged to run for governor of Quezon by representatives in three of the four congressional districts in the province.

But he said he is not interested to join the elections and that his son Aris would instead run for congressman in Quezon’s third district to challenge Rep. Danilo Suarez, who is also minority leader.