Trillanes just a political talk; no effect on Duterte ratings drop–Palace

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque. INQUIRER file photo / JOAN BONDOC

It’s inflation and not Trillanes.

Malacañang dismissed on Wednesday speculations that the decision of President Rodrigo Duterte to void the amnesty of Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV pulled his approval and trust ratings down.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said the Palace does not view Trillanes, one of the staunchest critics of Duterte, as a “hindrance to governance.”

“We don’t really consider Senator Trillanes as a major hindrance to governance. He is a minor legal issue that’s being addressed by a few lawyers,” Roque said in an interview over CNN Philippines’ “The Source.”

Duterte has issued proclamation 572, voiding the amnesty of Trillanes given by former president Benigno Aquino III through Proclamation No. 75 in 2011.

READ: Duterte insists Trillanes amnesty not valid

Roque said Duterte’s double-digit drop in his approval and trust ratings in the latest Pulse Asia survey was due to inflation and not his actions against Trillanes.

“We do concede that when it comes to rice and food items, that affects everyone. Trillanes is just a political talk. He is a minor footnote,” he said.

“He doesn’t have another term in the Senate. He is about to end his political career in a few moths. So he’s no big deal as far as the administration is concerned,” he added.

Roque reiterated that the President was just enforcing the law when he decided to void the senator’s presidential amnesty.

He said the government was focused on addressing inflation, which hit a record-high of 6.4 percent in August.

“That is why we are focused on inflation. The economic clusters have been there busy formulating policies and now we have reached the point when we are implementing it,” he said. /jpv

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