MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte’s tirades against former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV continues, with the chief executive accusing one of his staunchest critics of “doing nothing but to glorify” himself.
In a public address aired on Friday, Duterte slammed Trillanes for “always complaining.”
“Ikaw Trillanes, maligaya ka sa nangayari sa buhay ng Pilipino ngayon? Puro ka lang daldal, always complaining and yet…’tong kapwa mong sundalo nagtatrabaho. Mga mistah (batchmates) mo nagtatrabaho,” the President said.
(Trillanes, are you happy with what’s happening with the lives of the Filipinos now? You’re always talking, always complaining and yet…your fellow soldiers are working. Your batchmates are working).
“Ikaw? (You?) You rebelled against the government, almost destroying the Republic. You’ve been a senator (and) you did nothing but to glorify yourself,” added Duterte.
‘That is democracy’
But Trillanes hit back at Duterte, telling him to just do his job well instead of “sleeping” on it.
“It is my duty as a member of the opposition to raise the abuses, flaws, and inefficiencies of the administration to improve its services and make it accountable to the people. That is democracy,” the former senator, one of Duterte’s staunchest critics, said.
“Simple lang, ayusin nila ang serbisyo nila at wag sila mang abuso ng kapangyarihan. Also, paminsan-minsan magtrabaho naman sya imbes na patulog-tulog lang sya habang nagkandapalpakan na ang mga bata nya,” he added.
(It’s simple, do your job well and don’t abuse your power. Also, he should work from time to time instead of sleeping while his people are making mistakes.)
Trillanes, either through statements or on social media, have repeatedly called out and criticized the Duterte adminsitration’s response to the coronavirus pandemic.