Hontiveros posts bail for wiretapping case

Senator Risa Hontiveros on Tuesday posted a P36,000 bail for her provisional liberty after being indicted on wiretapping charges earlier this month.

The bail order was signed by Presiding Judge Rechie Ramos-Malabanan of Pasay City Metropolitan Trial Court Branch 46, directing authorities to recall and set aside the warrant of arrest issued against Hontiveros on December 27, 2021.

The arraignment and the pre-trial conference was set on January 21, 2022.

The case was in connection with Hontiveros' alleged violation of Republic Act No. 4200 or the Anti-Wire Tapping Act.

The Pasay City Prosecutor’s Office has filed criminal charges against Hontiveros after finding probable cause on the case stemming from a complaint lodged by former Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II.

Vitaliano is accusing Hontiveros of disclosing his text exchanges with former Negros Oriental Representative Jacinto Paras during a Senate inquiry in 2017.

In a statement, Hontiveros dismissed the complaint as worthless and baseless.

“Walang kwenta at walang basehan ang kasong isinampa sa akin ni dating Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre. Desidido akong labanan ang panghaharass na ito,” she said.

(The case filed against me by former Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre is worthless and baseless. I am determined to fight this harassment.)

“Kakampi natin ang batas at ang katotohanan. Protektado ng mismong Konstitusyon ang lahat ng aspeto ng aking privilege speech sa Senado, kaya panatag akong wala akong kahit anong paglabag sa Anti-Wiretapping Law,” she added.

(The law and the truth are with me. The Constitution itself protects all the aspects of my privilege speech in the Senate. That is why I am confident that I did not violate the Anti-Wiretapping Law.)

The senator argued that it was Aguirre who violated the law as he, along with his conspirator, were “caught in the act” while he was orchestrating a conspiracy against her.

“Nabuko natin ang kanilang planong conspiracy laban sa akin, na isang senador, habang nasa loob mismo ng Senado, at habang may pagdinig. Isang malaking pambabastos ito sa ating institusyon,” Hontiveros said.

(We exposed their conspiracy against me, a senator, while inside the Senate and during a hearing. That is a great disrespect to the institution.)

She then questioned why there were sudden developments on the case that was filed four years ago.

“Why are government resources being devoted to this obviously baseless case, when we need every peso for rehabilitation and rescue efforts for victims of typhoon Odette? Malinaw na black propaganda lang itong kaso na ito ni Mr. Aguirre at ng mga kasabwat niya. Pero kung akala nila na maduduwag ako, doon sila nagkakamali,” she said.

(This case filed by Mr. Aguirre and his cohorts is clearly black propaganda. If he thinks that I will be intimidated, then he is wrong.) —KBK, GMA News