Trillanes denies alleged link with Maute, slams Aguirre

Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II and Senators Antonio Trillanes IV. INQUIRER FILE PHOTOS

Senator Antonio Trillanes IV slammed Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II’s alleged attempt to link him into the Marawi siege, saying the latter’s incompetence was matched by his ‘stupidity.’

“For the record, I am not involved in any way with the Maute group or the Marawi incident. Sec. Lorenzana said so himself,” Trillanes said in a statement on Wednesday.

He was referring to Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, who along with National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon briefed senators last May 29 on the martial law declaration in Mindanao.

“I also did not have any meeting in Marawi in May 2 since I haven’t visited Marawi for the past three years. But don’t take my word for it, simply check the Senate records for May 2,” Trillanes said.

Aguirre had reportedly claimed that Trillanes met in Marawi City with other opposition lawmakers — Senator Bam Aquino and Magdalo Representative Gary Alejano and certain local leaders last May 2, or before the May 23 attack of the extremist members of Maute Group.

“The incompetence of Aguirre is only matched by his stupidity. I would advise him to avoid getting his intel from Facebook conspiracy theorists,” added Trillanes, a staunch critic of President Rodrigo Duterte.

Aquino, in a separate statement, also denied Aguirre’s allegations.

READ: Bam tells Aguirre: Don’t rely on ‘fake news’ in making accusations

Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan also dismissed Aguirre’s “baseless accusations” linking the Liberal Party (LP) to destabilization efforts. Aquino is an LP member.

“This is pure nonsense and this is the nth time Secretary Aguirre has come up with baseless accusations linking the Liberal Party to destabilization efforts,” Pangilinan said in another statement.

He pointed that during the May 29 briefing with senators, they asked Lorenzana and Esperon point blank if they had intelligence information linking the LP or the opposition to the Marawi incident. And both officials, he said, denied having any such information.

“Even DTI Sec. Mon Lopez went on record to say that Sen. Aquino was in Marawi for a DTI GoNegosyo event. That makes three Cabinet Secretaries refuting Aguirre’s unfounded claims,” Pangilinan said.

“Every false accusation Aguirre makes against the LP results in further damage to his credibility. It is another attempt at deflecting the issue from the unresolved scandals facing his office,” he added.