Former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV shows to the media the copy of his affidavit of complaint filed against former president Rodrigo Duterte and Senator Bong Go for plunder cases on Friday, July 5, 2024, at the Department of Justice in Manila City. Noy Morcoso/ INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines — Former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV on Sunday said he plans to file more complaints against former President Rodrigo Duterte and Senator Christopher “Bong” Go.
“We are preparing other complaints, so they should wait, and it seems like others will also file complaints against them,” Trillanes said in Filipino in an interview over Kapihan sa QC.
“Others can now file cases since Dutertes’ reign, along with his sidekick Bong Go, has finally ended,” he added.
READ: Trillanes files plunder, graft raps vs ex-President Duterte, Bong Go
When asked about the new complaints, Trillanes mentioned the Philippine Navy’s frigate deal.
“The frigate scam, for example, we are going to file cases related to that in the appropriate time. We need to gather documents first, but soon, wait for it. It’s a case against Duterte and Go along with their partners from the Department of National Defense,” he said.
In 2019, Trillanes claimed that Duterte admitted to the crime of plunder when the former chief executive confirmed that he and Go intervened in the frigate deal.
READ: Plunder vs Duterte for frigate deal? ‘We don’t respond to nonsense’ – Palace
Duterte said he acted on a complaint from the South Korean supplier and forwarded it to Go, who was his trusted aide at the time.
Based on reports, the frigate acquisition project was fraught with controversies. Then Navy chief Vice Adm. Ronald Joseph Mercado was unceremoniously sacked from his post in 2017 for his supposed inappropriate insistence to acquire a certain brand of combat management systems (CMS) that met the Navy technical working group’s requirements.
The selection of the CMS, or the brains of the warships, was the main source of contention that led to congressional hearings because of the Navy’s Link 16 compatibility requirement.
Last July 5, Trillanes filed a plunder complaint against Duterte and Go before the Department of Justice.
He said Go, “in conspiracy with Mr. Duterte, used his position, authority, and influence to corner billions worth of government projects in favor of his father and brother, thus unduly enriching himself and the members of his immediate family.”
The former lawmaker added that Duterte and Go “facilitated corrupt practices, specifically the awarding of more than a hundred government contracts to companies owned by Go’s father and brother worth at least P6.6 billion.”
Duterte and Go were also accused of violating The Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and The Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees.
Go brushed off the corruption allegations against him and Duterte.
“I have yet to see the verified complaint. But since this is essentially the same accusation they hurled against me before, I categorically deny the allegations against me and Duterte,” he said on Friday.
“Nevertheless, I welcome these moves to finally put an end to these often-recycled issues against us,” he added.
READ: Bong Go says corruption accusations ‘often-recycled issues’
Trillanes said Go’s remarks are “the alibi of guilty people.”
“They will accuse me of politicking if they can’t get out of something. But the document clearly showed that his family acquired P6.6 billion worth of contract,” he said.
“About 184 contracts were acquired. In one year, 25 contracts were acquired by his father’s company, and in another year, 23 contracts were acquired by his brother’s company,” he added.