Binay camp: ‘Moral crusader’ Trillanes owns ‘eight expensive vehicles’ undeclared in SALN

By: Frances Mangosing - 10 years ago

Senator Antonio Trillanes IV. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — United Nationalist Alliance has accused Senator Antonio Trillanes IV of owning eight “luxury vehicles” not listed on his Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN).

“Senator Trillanes styles himself as a moral crusader, but all these years he has evaded the issue of how he was able to afford eight luxury vehicles with his salary in the military and why he did not declare them in his SALN. This is a clear violation of the law,” Atty. JV Bautista, interim secretary general UNA said in a statement on Tuesday.

Vice President Jejomar Binay’s political party, claimed that the luxury vehicles include two sports utility vehicles, five vans and a big motorcycle. These were not included when he was a Navy lieutenant second grade.

At that time, a salary of his rank was around P22,000, Bautista said.

“Mahirap ang nagmamalinis. Kung anu-ano ang sinasabi laban kay Vice President Binay ‘yun pala sya ang may nilabag na batas at may malaking itinatago,” he added.

(He is self-righteous. He has been hurling allegations against Vice President Binay when he is the one who breaks the law and is hiding wealth.)

The accusation comes at a time when Trillanes insisted that Chinese-Filipino businessman Antonio Tiu was used for fronting Binay on the ownership of a 350-hectare property in Batangas. Tiu, however, denied that he was used as a dummy by Binay.

Bautista said that according to Land Transportation Office records, the following vehicles are registered under Trillanes:

Mitsubishi Pajero, license plate RIZ-222 model 2000

Nissan Terrano, license plate UJW-717, model 1996

Mitsubishi Delica, license plate XBD-542

Mitsubishi Delica, license plate XCZ-552

Mitsubishi Delica, license plate XBF-574

Mitsubishi Delica, license plate XBY-183

Mitsubishi Delica, license plate WLU-445

Kawasaki motorcycle, license plate PH-6949, model 1995.

“If he says that his crusade is against corruption, then he should start with himself, being the owner of eight expensive vehicles,” he said.

“Just because you are part of the Blue Ribbon subcommittee investigating the Makati City Hall Building-2 does not make you a credible or honorable person, or reading Biblical passages make you any holier than anyone. Ang kaso, these people think they’re more popish than the pope, and speaking as though they are morally upright, eh sa totoo lang panakip-butas nila itong telenobela sa Blue Ribbon sa kanilang PDAF, DAP, etcetera etcetera (These people think they’re more popish than the pope, speaking as though they are morally upright, when the truth is they are just using their show in the Blue Ribbon committee to mask their PDAF, Dap, etcetera, etcetera),” Bautista also said.