Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II. Voltaire Domingo, NPPA

MANILA - Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II on Monday downplayed a complaint filed with the Office of the Ombudsman against him for allegedly spreading "fake news" on certain public issues.

"Balewala yun, matagal na yun. It's a very small issue making a mountain out of a molehill," Aguirre said, referring to a statement he made in June pertaining to a supposed meeting by several opposition lawmakers that may "probably, possibly" have links to local terror group Maute group's attacks on Marawi City on May 23.

A group called "Millennials Against Dictators" filed the complaint, citing other instances as well where Aguirre was allegedly found to have made "fake news" pronouncements, such as linking the South Korean Embassy and an alleged Korean mafia in the Philippines to the killing of Korean national Jee Ick-Joo, and linking former Senator Jamby Madrigal to the New Bilibid Prisons illegal drug trade.

The complainants want Aguirre removed from office for alleged violation of the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees for "repeatedly making unsubstantiated public accusations and allegations thus failing to discharge his duties with the highest degree of excellence, professionalism, intelligence and skill."

The group also accused the justice chief of violating Section 1, Article 11 of the 1987 Constitution "when he refused to take responsibility for his actions as Secretary of Justice despite publicly making false and misleading accusations and allegations."

Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II shows the media his purported proof that opposition figures met in Marawi City days before clashes between government troops and terror groups began. The photo turned out to be a 2015 image taken at the Iloilo airport. Screenshot from TV Patrol

Aguirre once again blamed some reporters for "not telling the whole story" that his statement on the alleged opposition lawmakers' Marawi meeting was mere raw information that needed validation.

"Hindi fake news yun, it [was] a raw intelligence report and I made it clear to the media, sa inyo. Sabi ko: 'this is a mere intelligence report I want to validate and I don't want to make a speculation.'"

"I've never been a 'fake news king.' Marami dyan 'fake news king' pero wala kayo sinasabi," Aguirre told media men during Monday's chance interview at the Department of Justice.

In a sit-down interview with justice and court beat reporters on June 7, Aguirre voluntarily mentioned raw information he received about a supposed meeting in Marawi among several key local families, Senators Bam Aquino and Antonio Trillanes; Congressman Gary Alejano; and Aquino administration Presidential Adviser on Political Affairs Ronald Llamas.

"Sina Bam Aquino went to Marawi on April 24 and April 28 and they stayed, had a meeting at Lakeview Resort Hotel on May 2 where present were Sen. Aquino, Ronald Llamas, Alejano, and Trillanes and some clans doon sa Marawi, mga moro family, so hindi ko malaman why after they went there nagkagulo after two weeks… I don't want to connect it [to the Marawi attacks]… unless proven by evidence and facts," Aguirre said during that June 7 interview, stressing government should investigate the alleged meeting.

The attacks on Marawi led President Duterte to declare martial law in the entire Mindanao region and suspend the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus for 60 days, an act that was recently upheld by the Supreme Court with an overwhelming majority of 11 of the 15 justices saying the issuance was based on sufficient factual bases.

Aguirre later recanted his allegations after it was revealed that the photograph he cited as evidence of the supposed meeting in Marawi City, which he showed to journalists in a press conference on Wednesday, was an image taken in 2015 at the Iloilo Airport.

He also apologized for linking the Alonto and Lucman families tot he issue.

"There was no intent on my part to implicate the Alonto and Lucman families in the crisis Marawi City is currently facing. Both families have never been and shall never be a part of any plot to destroy or cause harm to anybody or any property," he said.

He said "further verification" showed Senator Aquino was not present in the alleged meeting of opposition leaders said to have been held in Marawi City on May 2, 2017."