Charges poised vs Trillanes

Senator Antonio Trillanes. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / RICHARD A. REYES

Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV is next.

Solicitor General Jose Calida on Monday said his office was studying charges that may be filed against Trillanes for coddling confessed hit men Arturo Lascañas and Edgar Matobato.

Matobato testified in the Senate last September that he was a hit man of the so-called Davao Death Squad (DDS) and that he killed about 50 people on orders from Mr. Duterte when the President was still the mayor of Davao City.

Lascañas emerged last week, confessing that he, too, was a hit man of the DDS and that he killed people on orders from Mr. Duterte.

“[Trillanes is] also a person of interest. Why is he hiding and protecting this confessed criminal?” Calida said in a press briefing, referring to retired policeman Lascañas.

Calida said Trillanes was liable for providing security to a person who had admitted killing his two brothers.

What charges?

But as to what specific charges to be filed, Calida said, “Give me more time and I’ll have the proper case to be filed against him.”

“How can you believe the statement of a perjurer? But since he wants to be in the limelight and he claims to have killed so many [people], he should be arrested,” Calida said.

“Even (Edgar) Matobato, why is (Trillanes) coddling them? Is this the job of a senator?” Calida said.