MANILA, Philippines—A Davao-based businesswoman claiming she was detained to force her to buttress accusations of extrajudicial killings against President Rodrigo Duterte appeared to copy Duterte’s style, cussing the opposition figure she accused of tormenting her, former senator Antonio Trillanes IV.
Guillermina Lalic Barrido, a businesswoman based in Duterte’s home turf Davao City, met face-to-face with Trillanes at a preliminary investigation at the Department of Justice of the kidnapping and serious illegal detention case she filed against Trillanes and several other individuals who are known Duterte critics, including Jesuit priest Fr. Albert Alejo, lawyer Jude Sabio and a nun known only as Sister Ling.
At the preliminary investigation on Friday, Oct. 11, Barrido affirmed an affidavit which was used as basis by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) of the Philippine National Police (PNP) to charge Trillanes, Alejo, Sabio and Sister Ling with kidnapping and serious illegal detention.
Gino Paolo Santiago, assistant state prosecutor, gave Trillanes, Alejo and Sabio 10 days to file a counter-affidavit. A subpoena has yet to be served to Sister Ling, a Cannussian Sister, because the address listed on the complaint can’t be located.
Barrido cussed Trillanes after the DOJ procedure, prompting Santiago to call her attention and ask her to “respect the office.”
Barrido continued to rant as she walked out of the DOJ’s Executive Lounge saying “I was hurt. For years I endured what they have been doing to me.”
“He harassed me. My child almost had an accident. Trillanes is a liar. He even paid people in social media. The truth will soon come out,” she continued, speaking in Filipino.
Trillanes denied Barrido’s accusation, saying it was the first time he met his accuser.
“As I said, I don’t know this person and based on evidence we gathered, she has a history of defrauding people for money,” Trillanes said in Filipino.
Trillanes said it was Barrido who approached priests for help claiming her life was in danger only to ask for money in exchange for damaging information against Duterte.
“We have videos to support these arguments and we will present these in our counter-affidavit, the tables had been turned,” he added.
Trillanes swore he was never involved in any kidnapping case. “I never abuse my power against ordinary people,” he said. “I stand up to political bullies, to political monsters,” he added./TSB