MANILA, Philippines — Former Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV is an “agitator” who only desires to destabilize the relationship between President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and his predecessor, Rodrigo Duterte, Sen. Ronald dela Rosa in an interview on Wednesday over ABS-CBN News Channel’s “Headstart.”
“I don’t believe him because since when has he become a spokesperson of the ICC [International Criminal Court]?” Dela Rosa said in Filipino, referring to a statement by Trillanes that the ICC already gathered enough evidence in its drug war probe and was ready to issue an arrest warrant against Duterte.
“When was he appointed as spokesperson of the ICC? He’s just there to destabilize our relationship [referring to himself and Duterte] with Malacañang,” he added.
“Trillanes is an agitator. He wants to destabilize the relationship between the Dutertes and Malacañang to we all get into trouble. Trillanes is a destabilizer.”
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Dela Rosa earlier challenged President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to “be man enough” and tell him the real score on whether ICC investigators had already been allowed entry into the Philippines.
Asked why he aired such an appeal, dela Rosa said he only intended to prompt the president to make a public statement to “once and for all end these speculations.”
Dela Rosa, a former chief of the Philippine National Police, was the chief implementer of Duterte’s brutal drug war.
He is among those mentioned in the crimes against humanity complaint before the ICC.