‘Persona non grata’ tag vs Trillanes has basis, says Calida

Solicitor General Jose Calida (File photo by JOAN BONDOC / Philippine Daily Inquirer)

The decision of Davao City local officials to declare Senator Antonio Trillanes IV as a “persona non grata” has basis as his plunder complaint against President Rodrigo Duterte was “terminated,” Solicitor General Jose Calida said on Tuesday.

Calida, in a press conference, disclosed that the Ombudsman has “closed and terminated” the plunder complaint against Duterte over allegations of millions of hidden wealth.

“Well with this information, I think, there is basis for that,” Calida said.

Officials of Davao City, Duterte’s hometown, decided to tag not only Trillanes but also philanthropist and Fil-Am businesswoman Loida Nicolas-Lewis as “persona non grata.”

READ: Trillanes on ‘persona non grata’ tag: Truth hurts

It was Trillanes who filed a plunder complaint against Duterte in May 2016.

The senator, who was then a vice presidential candidate, alleged that the Davao City government had 11,000 non-existent contractual employees under Duterte’s rule who received P708 million in 2014.

READ: Duterte used bank accounts to launder funds from ‘ghost workers’–Trillanes

“Now that we know that the frivolous case was terminated by the Ombudsman, Senator Trillanes seeks another Senate hearing to convince probably the public about his garbage evidence,” the solicitor general said.

“Because Trillanes’ evidence is garbage, it will not stand with the scrutiny with the service,” Calida said. /je