Senator Antonio Trillanes IV admitted confronting Labor Undersecretary Jacinto “Jing” Paras inside the Senate session hall on Tuesday, but he denied cursing or threatening to kill the official.
The senator was forced to explain the incident after Paras said he was threatened by the senator during their encounter.
Trillanes said it started when he approached Health Secretary Francisco Duque at the VIP gallery.
“Suddenly itong si Paras ay gusto akong kamayan so sinabi ko sa kanya ang lakas naman ng loob mo, kinasu-kasuhan mo ako tapos makikipagkamay ka sa akin (Paras suddenly approached me wanting to shake my hand. I said: ‘How dare you shake my hand when you filed a case against me’)?” Trillanes narrated.
Paras was among the lawmakers who filed charges against Trillanes over his remark against President Rodrigo Duterte in a privilege speech last October.
READ: Lawyers to sue Trillanes over ‘kill Duterte’ remark
Trillanes also recalled telling Paras to make sure that Duterte stays in power forever. However, he denied pointing his finger at Paras or preventing the labor official from riding with him in the elevator.
“Hindi totoo yun. Ayaw lang siguro niyang sumakay dahil natakot. Wala naman akong sinabing huwag siyang sumakay, siguro natakot lang (That’s not true. He probably doesn’t want to ride with me because he was afraid),” Trillanes said.
Asked how Paras reacted to his remarks, Trillanes said he suddenly told him: “Sige na papatayin na raw siya, ipapapatay na raw siya. Sabi ko huwag ka ngang umarte dyan.”
On Paras’ reported plan to file another case against him, Trillanes said the labor official should go ahead and file the case. “But it’s his words against mine,” he said.
“But definitely there was no threat made,” he insisted, adding that that he was merely expressing himself. “I’m just transparent.” /ee