Labor exec Paras slaps Trillanes with grave threat rap

MANILA, Philippines — Labor Undersecretary Jacinto “Jing” Paras on Wednesday filed grave threat rap against Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV over threats made by the senator to Paras at the sidelines of a Senate hearing.

Paras filed a six-page complaint before the Pasay City Prosecutor’s Office against Trillanes, accusing the lawmaker of violating the Article 282 of the Revised Penal Code on Grave Threats.

The complaint cited in particular the incident at the Senate hearing on the Oversight Committee on Overseas Foreign Workers last May 29 that the two attended.

According to Paras, Trillanes went up to him and said: “Ang lakas ng loob mo. Hindi magtatagal ang amo mo. Matatapos din 'yan. Yayariin kita. Mercenaryo ka. Yayariin kita.”

(You have guts. Your boss will not last long. That will soon end. I will finish you. You are a mercenary. I will finish you.)

Paras was accompanied by his fellow Duterte allies, lawyer Lorenzo Gadon and suspended lawyer Elligio Mallari in filing the complaint.

Paras said that the senator’s threats are “obviously” due to his earlier inciting to sedition charges filed against Trillanes, a vocal critic of Duterte. On March 15, the Pasay City prosecutors indicted Trillanes over a remark he said in a privilege speech where he called on military men to shoot President Rodrigo Duterte for his unexplained wealth.

READ: Trillanes indicted for sedition

The labor official added that Sen. Miguel Zubiri had to intervene to stop Trillanes. But Paras said that the senator repeated his threats to him when he was about to take the elevator. The senator allegedly told him: “May araw ka din. Mawawala naman ang president mo. Yayariin kita.”

(You will have your day. Your president will soon step down. I will finish you off.)

Trillanes: Paras has zero credibility

Trillanes, however, dismissed the complaint against him.

“There is no truth in that complaint. Paras has the zero-credibility of a cellphone thief,” said the senator in a statement.

Trillanes was referring to the theft complaint filed by Rep. Tom Villarin (Akbayan) against Paras. The labor undersecretary said Villarin’s allegation is “malicious,” adding that he only “accidentally lifted” the lawmaker’s phone.

The senator said that he will nonetheless face Paras’ accusations.

READ: Villarin says Labor Usec Paras tried to steal his phone

He also stressed that this new rap is just a proof that the “allies of Duterte” will do anything to “distract or harass” those in the opposition.