Cayetano tells ‘dilawans:’ Trillanes and you deserve each other

MANILA, Philippines — Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano has a message to “dilawans,” a term used to call those deemed to oppose the government: “Former Senator Trillanes and you deserve each other.”

In a speech during Wednesday’s session, Cayetano addressed various sectors regarding the issue of ABS-CBN’s franchise—and among those he addressed were the “dilawans” and the DDS or the Duterte Diehard Supporters (DDS).

“Sa mga dilawan, nothing I say will make you agree with me. You don’t even agree on the facts simply because you think your opinions are law and are always correct,” Cayetano said.

“Former Senator Trillanes and you deserve each other. Kayo na lang mag-usap. Pero konting advice and take it from me, don’t disagree with him, papatayan kayo ng mic,” he added.

Cayetano and Trillanes were both previous members of the Senate and at one point, the two senators even dared each other to resign.

The two bickered over the Trillanes’ claims that Cayetano was out to snatch the Senate presidency.

In response to Cayetano’s latest jab, Trillanes said the Speaker was being “too dramatic.”

“Masyado madrama. Prove me wrong, Mr. Cayetano! Enough talk! Pass the ABSCBN franchise renewal bill ASAP. Until that happens, isa ka pa ring #Bolero #Sinungaling at #Paasa,” Trillanes said in a tweet.

Masyado madrama. Prove me wrong, Mr. Cayetano! Enough talk! Pass the ABSCBN franchise renewal bill ASAP. Until that happens, isa ka pa ring #Bolero #Sinungaling at #Paasa.

— Sonny Trillanes IV (@TrillanesSonny) May 13, 2020

Meanwhile, Cayetano assured “DDS” members who support the ABS-CBN’s shutdown that “Congress hears you.”

“As a friend and political ally of the President, part of the purpose of having this hearing is to make sure that history will judge our actions as just, na may hustisya,” Cayetano said.

“And that the world will not blame the Duterte administration in case the franchise application is denied. So it is only by having these hearings where we’ll be able to justify to people now and where history can look back and say na tama pala, binigay niyo yung franchise, o tama pala na hindi niyo binigyan,” he added.

The 11 bills seeking the renewal of franchise of ABS-CBN remain pending before the House committee on legislative franchises, the earliest of which, at least in the 18th Congress, was filed in July 2019.

For now, House has approved on second reading House Bill No. 6732 granting ABS-CBN a provisional franchise to operate until October 31, 2020.