Senator Antonio Trillanes IV and President Rodrigo Duterte. INQUIRER FILE PHOTOS
“Pick your poison, Mr. Duterte,” Senator Antonio Trillanes IV said of President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday.
This after a New York Times editorial reportedly urged the International Criminal Court (ICC) to immediately conduct a preliminary investigation on a complaint filed by lawyer Jude Sabio against the President over the killings of drug suspects in the country.
Trillanes could not agree more with the editorial, noting that the evidence against Duterte was “quite substantial.”
“He declared a policy of killings that left thousands of Filipinos slaughtered. He didn’t lift a finger to stop it. Worse, Duterte even encouraged it,” the senator said.
READ: Trillanes hits critics of ICC case
“With that, the only requirement left before ICC could assume jurisdiction is whether the local courts are unwilling and unable to prosecute him. But since Duterte has presidential immunity, the only way for our courts to prosecute Duterte is when he is impeached.”
“In other words, if his allies railroad the impeachment complaint, the ICC steps in. So, pick your poison, Mr. Duterte,” he added.
Last month, Magdalo Representative Gary Alejano filed an impeachment complaint against Duterte for the deaths of alleged drug suspects in the country and for his alleged P2.2 billion in unexplained wealth, among others.
READ: Ex-mutineer seeks to impeach Duterte
It was Trillanes, who is accusing the President of allegedly owning P2.2 billion in bank accounts. The senator even offered to resign from the Senate if his allegation is proven wrong. IDL