MANILA, Philippines—Opposition Senator Antonio Trillanes IV on Friday denied being the one behind the video circulating online linking Paolo Duterte to illegal drugs, but wished he was part of what he called “serious” and “well-explained” allegations against the presidential son.
This is after Paolo and his father, President Rodrigo Duterte, tagged the senator as the one behind the almost seven-minute video which identified the younger Duterte as one of the “principals” of a drug syndicate who allegedly received millions of kickbacks.
READ: Trillanes, opposition behind video linking Paolo to drugs – Duterte / Paolo Duterte: Video exposé ‘stamped with indelible Trillanes signature’
“First of all, let me congratulate the people behind the videos that linked the Duterte family to illegal drugs! The accusations of the witness were very serious, quite pointed and well-explained,” Trillanes said.
“Having said that, I really wish I was part of the making of the videos so I could relish these moments but sadly I am not. In the meantime, I am looking forward, as everyone else, to the next episode,” he added.
Trillanes, one of the President’s fiercest critics, renewed his challenge to the Chief Executive to sign a bank secrecy waiver to prove the allegations wrong.
The senator said the President should face the drug allegations against his family like what he did with the President’s assertion that he is hiding money in bank accounts overseas.
READ: Duterte says Trillanes hiding money abroad
Trillanes also dared Paolo to show his tattoo on his back which the senator earlier claimed will prove that the President’s eldest son is part of a “triad” or an international crime syndicate.
“When you (Duterte) falsely accused me of having offshore bank accounts, I confronted it squarely and didn’t stop until I was able to debunk your lies. And when you realized na napatunayan ko na hindi totoo ang mga paratang mo, umatras ka at inamin na inimbento mo lang yun. Ano, ganun na lang yun? Until your next lie?” he said.
“Kaya ang hamon ko sayo, pumirma ka ng bank secrecy waiver para ipakita na hindi ka corrupt at hindi galing sa droga ang mga bilyon bilyon mo sa bangko. Ikaw naman Polong, ipakita mo na lang ang likod mo, ang dami mo pang arte,” he added.
This is not the first that Trillanes and the presidential son and former Davao City vice mayor have locked horns over drug allegations.
It can be recalled that it was Trillanes who revealed that the former Davao City vice mayor allegedly has a dragon-like tattoo on his back which he said is proof of his ties to the drug trafficking triad.
Paolo, invoking his right to privacy, rejected Trillanes’ dare for him to bare his back to disprove the allegations during a Senate hearing. /muf