Duterte calls Trillanes ‘shameless’

DAVAO CITY, Philippines — President Duterte has accused outgoing Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV of abusing his power as a lawmaker and grossly disrespecting the Senate as an august hall.

“What did you do in the Senate? You made a mess out of it. And you used that power to run after people,” Duterte said during a thanksgiving dinner for Senator-elect Christopher Go the other night.

Duterte lambasted Trillanes for being behind the “Bikoy” videos after a man claiming to be Bikoy resurfaced and tagged the senator and other opposition personalities as being behind a plot to oust the President.

Peter Joemel Advincula pointed to Trillanes and the opposition Liberal Party as the brains behind the videos.

Duterte repeatedly accused Trillanes of masterminding efforts to destabilize his administration.

“I nurtured you in the PMA (Philippine Military Academy), all expenses and lodging paid by the people, and yet you have the gall to stage a mutiny and after that because the President was so unpopular,” Duterte said, referring to the former Navy officer.

He said Trillanes is shameless, abusing his power and position as senator.

The President threatened to expose Trillanes anew for his alleged illegal wealth. He said Trillanes is using dummies to hide his ownership of cars and other properties.

Trillanes was the least wealthy in the Senate in 2017, declaring a net worth of only P6.87 million.

“You are the number one richest because of your dummies. There will come a time that all of it will be revealed. You are shameless and a coward,” Duterte remarked.

The President paid tribute to Go, who has been his close aide for more than 20 years before he ran for public office.

Go, for his part, said he is waiting for the opportunity to summon Trillanes to a probe in the Senate regarding the Bikoy videos.

Trillanes implicated Go as among those involved in an illegal drug syndicate operating in the country.

“The world goes round. Just wait, I will also summon you to a Senate probe,” Go said of Trillanes’ antics.

Aside from Go, Bikoy also pointed to members of the Duterte family, even the President’s youngest daughter 14-year-old Kitty, as having benefitted from the illegal drug trade.

Bikoy has since apologized to the first family.