President Duterte said Senator Antonio Trillanes IV is only fishing for evidence that will tie Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte, and Presidential son-in-law Manases Carpio to the corruption and smuggling activities in the Bureau of Customs (BOC).

This after the Palace said Saturday that Duterte’s son and son-in-law are now willing to testify on the Senate’s probe on the P6.4-billion illegal drugs shipment from China that slipped through BOC last May, 2017.

Duterte, in an ambush interview in Davao City Sunday past midnight, said whistleblower Mark Taguba never directly linked Paolo and Mans to the Customs controversy and it was only Trillanes who said so.

“That’s another fake news. Wala naman siyang [Taguba] sinabi but it turned out na parang sinabi niya. ‘Wag mo akong bigyan ng garbage, ‘pag galing kay Trillanes,” Duterte said.

According to Duterte, Trillanes has been going after his neck since the campaign period, trying to smear his name by linking him to billions of pesos worth of hidden wealth.

He reiterated that Paolo was a regular face in the ports due to the business of his in-laws while Mans is a lawyer representing a client, hence the reason for meeting with former Customs Commissioner Nicanor Faeldon.

“You cannot summon them in the Senate or in the courts. Even sa korte, hindi ka pwedeng magtanong because bawal talaga ‘yan. You can ask any lawyer,” Duterte said.

“You are on a fishing expedition. Kaya kung may gusto kang malaman, huwag mong kunin sa bunganga ko. G*** ka pala. ‘Di maghanap ka kung saan-saan mo hanapin,” he added.

Duterte said Trillanes, just like Magdalo Representative Gary Alejano, are just fond of filing cases without really knowing the law.

“They persist because they’re dedicated to their ignorance,” he said.

According to the President, Trillanes is a “political ISIS” who doesn’t have any talent and does not know the difference between a democrat and a member of a party, citing Trillanes’ interview over BBC.

“How can I expect–kasi kulang. Actually kulang ‘yung nalaman niya sa buhay,” Duterte said.

“Si Trillanes nga poilitical ISIS eh. Walang alam, basta gusto, bira lang ng bira, akala niya, tama siya. Ang nakakatawa diyan, kasi when he talks, it is as if talagang alam niya ang batas,”.

However, the President said that people should forgive Trillanes and Alejano on what they are doing.

“We have to forgive him. Hindi niya alam ang ginagawa nila eh,” Duterte said, citing a popular bible verse.

Duterte also said that Trillanes can even be ousted from the Senate following the latter’s episode with Senator Richard Gordon during the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee’s hearing on the Customs issue.

“‘Yung inaway niya si Gordon, insisting on something which cannot be done legally, that’s [against] sa conduct nila, it’s unruly behavior,” Duterte said.

“And they can always be punished for that and even ousted from the Senate,” he added.

Source:
courtesy of MANILA BULLETIN

by Argyll Cyrus Geducos

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