MANILA, Philippines—President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday said the opposition, led by Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, are the ones behind the video exposé circulating on social media detailing the alleged involvement of his son Paolo Duterte to illegal drugs.
“Well, that is a propaganda that has been repeated all the time. Alam mo — alam ko propaganda na ‘yan. I was told. Eh pabalik-balik na ‘yang… I assure you, we are not into it,” Duterte told reporters in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan.
“Yellow ‘yan, pati spearheaded by… So hinahayaan ko na lang ‘yan si Trillanes because that is — that has become his passion. Hindi na ako pumapatol sa ano,” he added.
Yellow is the political color of the opposition Liberal Party.
A video circulating on social media has linked the presidential son as among the “principals” of a drug syndicate who allegedly received millions of kickbacks from the group.
A hooded man alias “Bikoy,” who claimed to be a member of the syndicate, also appeared in the video and said that Paolo had his alleged code name in the group tattooed on his back.
Paolo has already denied the allegation and also tagged Trillanes as behind the video. /gsg
READ: Paolo Duterte: Video exposé ‘stamped with indelible Trillanes signature’