President Rodrigo Duterte has instructed Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo to take action on former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV’s latest plunder allegations against him.
Unfazed by the fresh corruption claim hurled against him, Duterte said Trillanes was just “all talk.”
“I leave Trillanes to you. It’s up to you what you want to do with him. He’s all talk but could not even fight in a debate,” he told Panelo in a pre-recorded public address aired early Wednesday.
Duterte made the instruction after Panelo slammed Trillanes’ “rehashed” claim that Duterte and his former long-time aide, Senator Christopher Go, used their influence to corner about P6.6 billion worth of government infrastructure projects.
“He continues to spread lies and it appears that he has no plan to stop until he becomes ill for making up lies,” Panelo said.
Trillanes, in a statement, said Duterte would not get away with the alleged P6.6 billion plunder he supposedly committed as the Commission on Audit documents could show that several contracts were given to the family of Go.
“They cannot just fool people on this case. It is clear from the COA documents that Duterte gave the family of Bong Go 184 projects amounting to P6.6 billion. That is plunder,” Trillanes said.
There was no immediately available comment from COA.
Trillanes, in a video uploaded on YouTube, accused Duterte and Go of committing plunder over public works contracts won by construction firms owned by Go’s family in the Davao region.
He said construction companies owned by Go’s family had won government projects worth as much as P6.6 billion, specifically P1.5 billion when Duterte was still Davao City mayor and P5.1 billion in the first two years of his presidency.
Trillanes in 2018 sought a Senate inquiry into the possible conflict of interest in government contracts allegedly awarded to CLTG Builders and Alfrego Builders and Suppliers, firms owned by Go’s father and half-brother, in the Davao region.
He revived the plunder allegations after Duterte challenged Senator Emmanuel Pacquiao to name and probe government offices accused of being involved in corruption.
Duterte said Trillanes and Pacquiao were “alike” for having the desire to “hold power.”
Trillanes earlier raised the possibility of him running for president in case Vice President Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo decides not to join the 2022 presidential race.
Pacquiao, who was also reportedly considering seeking the highest post in the country, earned Duterte’s ire after claiming that corruption remains rampant in government.
Pacquiao named the departments of social welfare, health, energy, and environment as allegedly corrupt government offices.
From Malacanang, Duterte said anomalies in the government could not be completely removed overnight but maintained that his administration made progress in curbing corruption.
In a taped PDP-Laban meeting, Duterte, speaking to his party-mates, reiterated his frustration against Pacquiao for saying that corruption worsened under Duterte.
Duterte cited that under his administration, he was able to dismiss officials in the Bureau of Customs over corruption claims.
He also mentioned the relieved government personnel at the Bureau of Immigration in connection with the pastillas scheme.
He also reiterated his frustration with the so-called “laglag bala scam.”
“The very thing that pissed me off was Filipinos being framed up by laglag bala at the airport,” he said.
Go himself criticized Trillanes for making his presence felt during elections to malign and poison the public’s mind.
“Mr. Trillanes, if you think there’s corruption happening, file a case and do the right thing,” he said.
“You know there’s a process and courts which can prove his accusations (against us). Don’t do it in your own rotten style,” he stressed.
“Like what I have said before, if it can be proven that I have stolen from the nation’s coffers or benefitted from government projects, even a single peso, I will resign,” said Go.
He stressed that Duterte had repeatedly said they had not gained from any government transaction.
“Public service and public interest are our primordial concern,” said Go, who insisted he would not run in the 2022 elections.
Go is being groomed as among the choices to lead the ruling PDP-Laban in next year’s elections.
But the former aide of Duterte repeatedly rejected the offer for him to run for president.