MANILA, Philippines — Former senator Antonio Trillanes IV has accused President Rodrigo Duterte and Senator Bong Go of alleged plunder involving P6.6-billion in government projects, a bulk of the amount was from contracts secured during the Duterte administration’s first two years.
Trillanes, in a YouTube video posted Monday, claimed that Go’s family won government projects worth as much as P6.6 billion under Duterte— P1.5 billion when the Chief Executive was still Davao City mayor and P5.1 billion on the first two years of Duterte’s presidency.
But Malacañang dared the former senator to bring a case against the President and Go over the public works contract in Davao.
“Ito naman po kasi si Senator Trillanes, lumang tugtugin na po yan. Binato na niya yan kay Presidente, kay Senator Bong Go, hindi pa senator si Senator Bong Go. Wala naman po siyang napatunayan noong nakaupo pa siya sa Senado,” presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said in a briefing when sought to comment on Trillanes’ accusation.
(Senator Trillanes, that’s an old tune. He previously accused the President and Senator Bong Go, who at the time was not even a senator, of wrongdoing. He proved nothing when he was still a senator.)
Go, for his part, said Trillanes’ claims were “rehashed,” and the amounts the former senator mentioned were “bloated.”
Citing documents from the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Commission on Audit, Trillanes said that the construction company owned by Go’s father Desiderio Lim, CLTG Builders, bagged 27 projects worth P3.2 billion in 2017 alone, or only a year after Duterte assumed the presidency.
“Lahat ng mga projects na ‘to ay located sa Davao City at Davao Region lamang,” the former senator, a staunch critic of Duterte, said in the video.
(All these projects are located only in Davao City and the Davao Region.)
From March 2007 to May 2018, Trillanes said COA documents showed that CLTG Builders secured 125 projects worth 4.89 billion.
Meanwhile, Alfrego Builders & Supply, owned by Go’s half-brother Alfredo Amero Go, bagged 59 projects from June 2007 to July 2018, Trillanes said.
These projects amount to P1.74 billion, according to the former senator.
In 2018 alone, Trillanes said Alfrego Builders & Supply bagged 23 projects amounting to P1.3 billion.
But Go said these transactions are “legitimate” and “went through public bidding and proper procurement procedures in accordance with our laws.”
“Ang tanong ay nakinabang ba ako? Nakialam ba ako? Nag impluwensya ba ako? Wala!…Ang pamilya ko hindi nakakalapit sa akin ‘yan, lalo na ang half brother ko na magkaiba naman ang aming nanay,” he added.
(The question here is, did I gain from it? Did I intervene? Did I influence? Nothing!…My family can never ask me for favors, especially my half-brother since we have different mothers.)
“Tanungin ninyo ang mga taga-DPWH [Department of Public Works and Highways], ni isang beses wala akong tinawagan para makapag-impluwensya at magbigay ng pabor sa isang proyekto ng aking kapamilya o kahit ninuman. Wala po akong pakialam sa negosyo nila, kahit piso ay hindi ako nakinabang dyan,” he added.
(You can ask the DPWH, not once did I make a call to influence any projects so that it can go to my relatives or anyone. I have no hand in their business; I did not benefit from it even a single peso.)
Go also hit back at Trillanes, saying he is just waiting for a chance to face-off with the former senator in the upper chamber.
“Senador pa ako hanggang 2025, aantayin sana kita sa Senado para magtuos tayo kahit anong gusto mo. Ang tanong, kung mananalo ka pa?” Go said.
(I’m a senator until 2025, I’m waiting for you in the Senate so we can face off. The question is, will you still win?)
“Pero dinadamay mo na naman ako dahil papalapit na ang eleksyon,” he added.
(You’re dragging my name because the election is coming up.)
“Fabricated o bloated na mga numero na ilang taong maling ipinagdudugtong para lumaki ang halaga to make it look as if may plunder o anomalya na nangyari,” Go further said.
(The numbers were fabricated or bloated and combined with other years so that the sum would add up to a larger number and was done to make it appear there was plunder or anomalies took place.)
Trillanes said he would file a plunder case against Duterte and Go once they step down from their positions.
“Bakit hindi ngayon na? Kasi siguradong gagamitin nila ang kanilang kapangyarihan para ibasura ang mga kasong isasampa sa kanila,” he added.
(Why not now? Because for sure, they will use their power to trash the case that will be filed against them.)
“Galing sa COA at DTI mismo ang mga dokumentong nakalap namin, wala silang lusot dito,” he further said.
(The documents we have are from COA and DTI, they can’t get away with this.)
Go, for his part, said he is ready to face any case that will be filed against him.
Roque, meanwhile, questioned why Trillanes would wait until Duterte and Go no longer hold their respective positions before filing a case against the two officials.
“At bakit po siya mag-aantay ng pagkatapos ng termino? Sampa na po niya ngayon kasi ang tinatawag nating sovereign immunity from suit, hindi naman po ibig sabihin na hindi magpapatuloy ang imbestigasyon,” Roque said.
(And why would he wait after the President’s term? He should file it now because the sovereign immunity from suit doesn’t mean that the investigation won’t continue.)
Roque also said the problem is that Trillanes does not have any evidence except for media reports.
“Ang problema kay Senator Trillanes, wala pong ebidensya. Yung mga ebidensyang sinasabi niya laban kay Senator Bong Go [ay] Rappler, PCIJ [Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism]. Wala pong tatanggap niyan,” Roque said.
(The problem is that Senator Trillanes does not have evidence. The evidence he’s saying came from Rappler and PCIJ. No one will accept that.)
Trillanes, in his video, also noted that the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) and news site Rappler had previously reported on the government contracts secured by the two companies owned by Go’s father and half-brother in 2018.
These reports prompted Trillanes to seek a Senate investigation into the said government contracts back in September 2018.
These reports prompted Trillanes to seek a Senate investigation into the said government contracts back in September 2018 when he was still a senator.